Next-Gen conducts year-end assessment and planning workshop

The Department of Agriculture’s National Rice Program (DA-NRP) project on Accelerating the Development and Adoption of Next-Generation Rice Varieties for the Major Ecosystems in the Philippines (Next-Gen Project) held its year-end assessment and planning workshop on 16-20 November 2015 in Dauis, Bohol. Participants included representatives from DA-NRP, IRRI, PhilRice, Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), and the DA Regional Field Offices (DA-RFOs).

The collaborative project, led by Dr. Georgina Vergara (IRRI) and Ms. Thelma Padolina (PhilRice), is an initiative under the Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP) of the Department of Agriculture (DA), PhilRice, and IRRI, in partnership with UPLB, the DA-RFOs, state colleges and universities, local government units (LGUs), and rice farmers. The project aims to mitigate the impact of climate change and achieve food security by fast-tracking the introduction and adoption of higher-yielding inbred and hybrid rice varieties resistant to major pests and diseases and tolerant of adverse environments.

During the 3-day workshop, DA-RFO representatives presented their accomplishments in 2015, as well as their physical targets and budget for the 2016 and 2017 activities. Issues and recommended strategies to address those were also discussed. The participants also visited PVS (participatory varietal selection) and NCT (national cooperative testing) sites in Ubay, Bohol. The lively interaction among participants resulted in a successful workshop where they shared ideas and strategies helpful in the improvement and conduct of different Next-Gen activities, which ultimately impact farmers’ productivity as they adapt to the effects of climate change.

Overall, the workshop strengthened collaboration between the partner institutions, which would help facilitate the development of improved varieties and increase rice productivity, helping farmers adapt to the effects of climate change.

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