MANILA, March 8 -- A partnership expansion with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for rice intervention convergence may be feasible by the second half of the year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Friday.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. shared the DA proposal to utilize IRRI's intervention and technologies in select clusters of rice farmlands.

"Together with farmers, DA and its operating units like PhilRice (Philippine Rice Institute), NIA (National Irrigation Administration), the National Rice Program, LGUs (local government units), and IRRI, we will showcase convergence of interventions and services like mechanization and digitalization in these clustered farms," he said in a news release.

"T...