More Filipino farmers are now using hybrid rice seeds that produce higher profit compared to traditional rice seeds, a Department of Agriculture (DA) official said on Thursday.

“Hybrid [rice seeds] adaptors earn more. They can get as much as 260 bags per hectare. Although the farmers would spend more in purchasing these seeds, the return or profit also is higher,” Dr. Dionisio G. Alvindia, program director of the DA Philippine Integrated Rice Program, said during a bi-weekly presser.

He said as of January 15 this year, areas planted with hybrid rice seeds cover 614,619 hectares, out of 1.52 million hectares used for rice plantation.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar has been urging rice farmers to look into the production of hybrid rice to improve production and earn higher profits.

“This is one opportunity that we offer to rice farmers to elevate their gain, elevate their productivity, and become more competitive… having more income that they can use for their basic necessities,” he noted.

Palay production increased from 19.29 million metric tons (MMT) in 2020 to 19.96 MMT last year.

Dar said if not for the typhoons “we would have easily increased our production per annum”. (PNA)