Manila, July 16 -- The government is doubling down on sustainable irrigation and cropping innovations to ensure affordable rice for consumers and better income for farmers amid falling farmgate prices of palay (unhusked rice), National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Administrator Eduardo Guillen said on Wednesday.
In a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview, Guillen explained that the backbone of the government's strategy includes the double dry cropping system and solar-powered irrigation.
These practices reduce the impact of climate change and increase rice productivity without significant additional public spending.
These efforts align with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s directive to make rice more affordable while empowering Filipino f...