Bayer advocates innovative rice farming technologies at techno forum

Bayer CropScience joined the 17th National Rice Technology Forum (NRTF) held in Brgy. Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija from March 19 to 21, 2024 along with different agrochemical, seeds, and technology providers in the country,

The NRTF, headed by the Rice Board, is a biannual, nationwide event where different stakeholders in the agriculture industry showcase their hybrid rice seeds and their crop protection products that farmers can adopt in their farming business. 

Emmanuel Serame, Key Accounts Executive in North and Central Luzon, led the Bayer team in welcoming farmers and other stakeholders at the Arize® Field Walkthrough where different Arize® hybrids were featured. “Dito sa Bayer showcase natin, makikita [niyo] ang aming mga varieties: ang Arize® AZ 7888, HaBilis Plus, at Bigante™ Plus. Kapag bumisita sa field, malalapitan ng mga farmer ang mga variety natin at makikita nila yung mismong butil.” 

Field technicians were also stationed at different areas of the walkthrough to discuss the different Bayer technologies applied on the three hybrids. Apart from the field showcase, attendees also took part in fun games and short discussions at the booth where winners were given a variety of prizes. 

“Importante itong NRTF na ito dahil dito yung convergence, nandito lahat ipinapakita at shino-showcase doon sa field, sa plenary session, at sa exhibit. Mapapakinabangan ng mga farmers natin sa Nueva Ecija para makatulong sa kanilang pagsasaka,” says Recher Ondap, Rice Board President and Bayer’s Key Account Manager for Government and Industrial. 

During the 16th NRTF awarding ceremony last December 2023, Bayer bagged two awards: Highest yielder (8.63 MT/Ha) in Hybrid Rice Seed Category based on the actual production data of Bigante™ Plus (NSIC Rc314H) and HaBilis Plus (NSIC Rc524H); and Highest Yielding Variety (8.80 MT/Ha) for Bigante™ Plus.

Brand Portfolio Manager for Arize® and DEKALB® Seeds John Vince regards this win as a testament to Bayer’s mission to provide the best quality, the best-performing hybrids. “I think the awards that we won are just proof that Bayer is really there, investing in R&D, doing a lot of trials, trying to provide the best quality specifically for rice seeds that will address the needs of the farmer.” He further praised Arize® Bigante™ Plus for its performance and consistent high yields, reasons why farmers keep patronizing said hybrid.

Bringing technology to the heart of rice production

Holding this year’s NRTF in the rice granary of the Philippines is important as it brings the available farming technologies within the farmers’ reach. “Mataas naman ang ani nila rito, pero madadagdagan pa ang productivity nila dahil sa mga ino-introduce natin na technology. At the same time, bababa yung cost [na gagastusin] nila. Mapapakinabangan ng mga farmers natin sa Nueva Ecija ang mga ito para makatulong sa kanilang pagsasaka,” shares Ondap.

Aside from the NRTF, Ondap also sheds light on the other government initiatives that farmers can also partake in, such as the Regional Rice Technology Forum—which focuses on the regional basis, and the Provincial Rice Technology Forum—where farmers have the same opportunity to see the technologies available. Other than these, the government also promotes “farmer clustering” to ensure that the farmers can maximize the benefits from government interventions as opposed to when they produce rice individually.

“We are now experiencing El Niño, there’s a lot of programs that the government is implementing to address this. They also provide support to farmers affected by El Niño through Rice Tariffication Law, their breeding incentive, and so on,” shares Ondap.  

As for Bayer, Brand Portfolio Manager for Arize® and DEKALB® Seeds John Vince Cruz highlighted how the company is dedicated to serving the farming industry. “I think, what Bayer is really doing is understanding the challenges, the pain points of the farmers. And through that, we offer our tailored solution. R&D is there, but still having that conversation with the farmers on how we could address using our available or upcoming products in the pipeline is one way of really hitting the mark.” 

On the other hand, in terms of crop protection, Bayer is currently shifting its position to cater to a wider range of farmers in terms of their financial capabilities. Aside from megabrands, the company started offering products which are more affordable yet equally effective for their farming needs whether it be control for weeds, insects, or diseases.

Ariel Anico, Brand Portfolio Manager for Fungicides and Herbicides, shares how the company continues to develop crop protection products and solutions to maximize the yield of the farmers, not just in terms of quantity but also in quality, with the ultimate aim of increasing their income.

"Not all farmers have the same financial capabilities so we try to position some of our effective products with affordable prices so these are more accessible to smaller farmers so at the end of the day, they could optimize their yield to provide them the profitability. Of course, some of the premium products would maximize yield in terms of quality and quantity but these requires additional investments which may be out of reach of the smaller farmers. What is important is Bayer's technology is accessible to all farmers,” says Anico.

The products that are more affordable now are the basic products that are needed for weed control like Ronstar® and Ricestar® Xtra. Bayer also offers Bulldock® and Decis® which are delivering optimum control of insect pest. That said, farmers now have full access to a range of technologies not just in the premium segment, but also who have low financial capability.

These efforts are Bayer’s way of ensuring that all areas of our farming sector are covered, and no farmer gets left behind, especially now that we are headed towards a paradigm shift in agriculture systems.

As farmers scale up their rice production, Bayer will also continue to meet their farming demands for feeding the growing world.

Read more stories here:

Connect with us! Follow the Bayer CropScience Philippines and DEKALB Philippines Facebook pages. Subscribe to our official Youtube channel, Bayer AgricademyTV.