By Rocel C. Felix, The Philippine STAR via SEAMEO SEARCA BIC

Bayer Cropscience has just completed the construction of its P10-million hi-tech seed conditioning plant that will allow it to expand its capability to sell hybrid rice seed s in the Visayas and Mindanao.

"the completion of the plant is a boost to our operations in the Visayas and Mindanao regions because now we don't have to rely on our plant in Luzon to be able to reach our customers here. As a result, it would make our hybrid rice seeds more accessible to a greater number of rice farmers who want to adopt hybrid rice farming," said Remus Morandante, zonal manager of the Bayer Bioscience Group for the VisMin regions.

Morandante said the seed conditioning plant's equipment include cleaning, grading and treating facilities for hybrid rice seeds that will protect it form storage pests and prolong the shelf life of seeds.

"We have to put up one of the best seed treatment technology and this investment will assure farmers of good quality, high-yielding hybrid seeds, it is so much more advanced than the regular bodegas or warehouses for grains," noted Morandante.

The half-hectare compound has a storage capacity of 800 - 1,000 metric tons (MT) of hybrid seeds or twice the maximum capacity of the company's seed conditioning plant in Isabela in Northern Luzon.

Bayer Bioscience started its hybrid rice seed distribution business in the VisMin region in 2002 and bolstered its marketing efforts through its Bigante Higanteng Ani Awards launched in 2003 wherein top hybrid rice producing farmers are awarded farming inputs.

This year's topnotcher is Eulogio Guira Sr. of New Ilocos, Magsaysay, Davao del Sur who harvested 14.11MT, followed by Renerio Gerona of San Agustin, Digos City with a yield of 13.28 MT and Guidolina Gerona of Sogod, Southern Leyte with 10MT per hectare. Guira, also last year's first prizewinner, received a hand tractor with trailer, the second and this placers got a thresher with engine and a mechanized brush cutter.

The Bayer BioScience business group started the hybrid rice program in 1998 and has so far, commercialized two varieties known as Bigante and Tisoy hybrid rice.

By 2006 or 2007, the company will be able to commercialize its third hybrid rice seed variety, said Carlos Saplala, Philippines Bioscience country manager.

"This new variety will prove to be even better, higher-yielding and will have the advantage of a shorter maturity period which could allow farmers to implement quick turnaround planting and raise their cropping to three a year," said Saplala.

Bayer BioScience has been focusing on major rice-producing areas such as Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Mindoro, Bicol, Southern Leyte, Davao provinces, Compostela Valley, Cotabato, Agusan, Zamboanga and Bukidnon.

The company extends off-sale services such as extension assistance to help farmers learn aspects of hybrid rice technology. It also facilitates loan assistance through its partnerships with selected rural financial institutions and links farmers with millers who buy Bigante grains as a premium price.

"This system provides protection to the banks, secures their collections, lowers their risks and makes the program sustainable," said Morandante.

The Department of Agriculture is pushing for the wider adoption of hybrid rice technology to boost efforts to attain self-sufficiency in rice. But while production is increasing, the yield is not enough to cope with the growing population. As a result, the Philippines continues to be a net importer of rice.

The government is hopeful that hybrid rice farming will solve the country's rice supply problems. Hybrid rice seeds yields can range from about seven to as high as 15 MT of palay compares to inbred or traditional rice seed varieties which can yield only up to 3.5 MT of palay.