A project to modernize rice farming practices is underway in Calapan City, a top rice-producing area in Oriental Mindoro province.

The “Smart and Sustainable Rice Farming Solutions in Calapan City” initiative is a collaboration between the Department of Science and Technology-MIMAROPA, the Calapan City government and the Malad Farmers Association.

Central to the project is the “Palatak Palay Seeder,” a locally developed device designed to streamline rice direct seeding. The technology, developed by engineer Delfin Cuevas Jr. of Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro, aims to save farmers about P9,000 pesos per hectare.

On Sept. 23, 19 seeders were given to the Malad Farmers Association. Calapan City Mayor Marilou F. Morillo and Cuevas attended the ceremony, along with representatives from government agricultural departments and farmers’ associations.

Avelino Davalos, secretary of the Calapan Federation of Farmers Association, expressed gratitude for the grant, saying in Filipino that it would be a tremendous help to their farming operations.

The project prioritized distribution to the Malad Farmers Association and the three highest rice-producing villages in Calapan City, reducing manual labor, improve planting efficiency and increase the economic viability of rice cultivation in the area.