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NEWS REPORTS 

POLICE REPORTS 

‘Kalinga heirloom rice could disappear if no intervention is done’ – BFAR Kalinga

Writer's picture:  Mark Moises Calayan Mark Moises Calayan

Updated: Jan 28

Tabuk City, Kalinga – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Kalinga has expressed worries about the declining production of heirloom rice in the province, citing that most of upland farmers are choosing to cultivate inbred seeds instead of the traditional varieties.

 

The shift in choice, according to observations of BFAR personnel, was due to the free inbred rice seeds given to farmers along with some fertilizers and pesticides. No aid is given to farmers who are farming heirloom rice.

 

Heirloom rice is usually cultivated in the upper part of the province, specifically in the towns of Pasil, Lubuagan, and Tinglayan, and has been passed down over generations. This commodity is vital to Kalinga’s local culture not just for its taste and aroma but also for its resilience to the province’s challenging weather conditions.

 

The traditional heirloom rice varieties are now at risk of being wiped out as most farmers prefer to plant inbred types because of their economic stability and greater short-term profits.

 

In an interview with Guru Press Cordillera on January 21, 2025, BFAR Kalinga Provincial Fishery Officer Joyce Docyugen expressed alarm about the diminishing production of heirloom rice in the province, saying “Main-inut da nga mapukpukaw… Most of the farmers, imulmula dan ket dagitoy inbreed seeds.”

 

According to her, the trend of shifting to inbred seeds is due to several factors, including economic pressures and the fact that the inbreeds are harvested after shorter periods earlier than the heirloom ones. Heirloom rice usually takes six months to harvest from the time it is planted, whereas inbred rice can be harvested after 4 months.

 

“Mas ad-adun ti agmumula dagitoy inbreed seeds. Haan dan agibati ti imula dan nu next nga panagmumula," she added, relating that many farmers are no longer preserving the seeds they harvest, which makes it harder to maintain the production of traditional rice. 

 


Nevertheless, Docyugen indicated hope as the municipalities of Pasil and Lubuaganhave devised a plan to preserve their heirloom varieties by buying seeds straight from their farmers after harvests.

 

The reason why BFAR is concerned with the diminishing heirloom rice is because the upland loach, a kind of eel, thrives in rice paddies where pesticides are not used. Said fish, found in the Cordilleras, are sensitive to synthetic elements.

 

BFAR hopes that the trend will change and people in upper Kalinga will continue to plant heirloom rice and that other LGUs will follow the examples of the two municipalities.


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