LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in collaboration with Bayer CropScience, Inc. and the Philippines Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture (PPSA), will host a Seminar-Workshop on Direct-Seeded Rice (DSR) Technology on 24 July 2025 at the SEARCA Umali Auditorium.
With the theme "Strengthening Policy Support for Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Rice Production in the Philippines," the event will bring together policymakers, scientists, farmers, industry players, and civil society organizations to exchange insights and identify actionable pathways to promote DSR systems nationwide.
The seminar-workshop also marks the second anniversary of the PPSA Learning Alliance, reinforcing the value of multi-sector partnerships in advancing agricultural transformation.
Rice remains central to Philippine food security, yet the sector grapples with rising input costs, labor shortages, water scarcity, and the intensifying impacts of climate change. DSR, a modern and resource-efficient alternative to traditional transplanting, offers promising solutions—reducing water use by up to 40%, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 45%, and lowering labor costs by 50%.
Assistant Secretary U-Nichols Manalo of the Philippine Department of Agriculture will deliver the keynote address. Experts from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), and Bayer will give technical presentations, complemented by a panel discussion featuring a farmer-adopter sharing firsthand experiences in using DSR.
A workshop session will engage participants in crafting policy recommendations and strategies to scale up DSR adoption in the Philippines. These insights will be synthesized into a policy brief to inform future agricultural planning and investments in the rice sector.
The event will conclude with a visit to the IRRI headquarters for a field demonstration of its DSR innovations.