Federated States of Micronesia seeks PHL expertise to develop rice industry

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is seeking technological assistance from the Philippine government to learn how to develop its own rice industry. "Micronesia, particularly in Pohnpei, has so many natural resources. We need to maximize these resources for consumption, and to start reducing importation such as rice from other countries," said FSM Senator Shelten Neth in a statement released by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice). In a recent tour of the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, including PhilRice headquarters, Neth said his country wants to explore a possible "country to country" collaboration on rice production. A net importer of food products, FSM imports rice and other food from Australia, the United States, and Japan, among other countries. Neth also visited a premier rice milling plant in San Jose City. PhilRice is an attached agency of the Agriculture Department, dedicated to developing high-yielding and cost-reducing technologies for palay farmers. The Federated States of Micronesia is located in the north Pacific Ocean as part of the region known as Micronesia, and consists of more than 600 islands comprising the states of Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap, and Kosrae. Tungro-resistant rice PhilRice has also reported that the new commercialized hybrid rice varieties it developed in coordination with the University of the Philippines-Los Baños withstood infestations of the rice-attacking tungro virus in several tests. Home-grown Mestiso 19 and Mestiso 20 produced high numbers of tillers and exhibited resistance to tungro in a series of adaptability trials conducted in Cagayan, Leyte, Aurora, and Palawan during this year's dry season. Mestiso 19 could yield as high as 10,700 metric tons (MT) rice and matures in 110 days Aside from its tungro resistance, it shows intermediate reaction to blast and brown planthopper. However, it is susceptible to bacterial leaf blight. Mestiso 20 registered maximum yield of 11,700 MT rice and matures in 111 days. It is moderately resistant to green leafhopper and brown planthopper and has intermediate reaction to blast. In some areas, it is susceptible to tungro and bacterial leaf blight. — BM, GMA News