SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ (PIA) — The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has distributed about 2.5 million bags of certified inbred rice seeds to farmers for the 2025 wet season under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program.
From March to July this year, the agency completed 3,339 out of 3,569 scheduled seed drop-offs on time, achieving a 94 percent delivery timeliness rate.
PhilRice RCEF Program Management Office Director Flordeliza Bordey noted that this high timeliness rate reflects the share of deliveries made on or before the exact date requested by local government units (LGUs), ensuring that seeds were distributed in time for farmers’ planting schedules.
“The significant increase in timeliness rate was due to the sufficient inventory of seeds for the early planters of the wet season and the improvement in the operations of the program’s seed monitoring system,” she said.
Data from the Rice Seed Monitoring System revealed that the program benefited over one million farmers across 1,368 cities and municipalities in 78 provinces, covering approximately 1.06 million hectares.
This achievement exceeded the program’s seasonal target and marked a significant milestone in the national effort to enhance rice production.
Despite challenges such as route closures and election-related delays, the program implemented targeted strategies and reinforced coordination with LGUs to ensure delivery continuity.
The complementation of the RCEF Seed Program with the National Rice Program of the Department of Agriculture also played a vital role in maintaining consistent support across major rice-producing areas.
Program implementers emphasize that the timely delivery of high-quality seeds is a critical factor in enhancing farm productivity.
With the increased budget as provided under Republic Act 12078, the program expanded its coverage from 57 to 78 provinces, helping more farmers by meeting the demand for certified seeds suited for different cropping environments.
To further enhance seed distribution, the program recently conducted a midyear review, gathering regional coordinators to present updates, identify location-specific challenges, and recommend solutions. (CLJD/CNG, PIA Region 3-Nueva Ecija)
