When the going gets tough, the tough gets going!!
SeedWorks Philippines Team did an excellent job in finding new ways to appropriate our seed offerings. US 88 is one of the most popular hybrid rice seed with high yield and good tolerance to disease, along with high milling recovery. The millers and consumers love it for its long grain and softness when cooked. It is a good option for brown rice as well. SeedWorks Philippines branded US-88 to the end consumer by highlighting its grain /cooking quality.
Still in its initial stage, SeedWorks Philippines started partnering with traders and millers who buy paddy of US 88 farmers in this year’s wet season harvest at a price higher than the prevailing price. In turn, the company provides the millers with specially designed milled rice sacks branded as US 88 Premium Quality Rice. The company also helps in linking millers to customers of premium long grain rice.
The whole process enables linking of farmers to the traders and the market for ensuring remunerative prices for their produce. Creating backward linkage is helping the farmers realise the better value of his products and also developing wider reach & visibility of SeedWorks as a brand.
This initiative was borne out of the company’s desire to uplift the lives of Filipino rice farmers greatly affected by the low farm gate price of paddy. It has been eighteen (18) months since the Philippines ratified the Rice Tariffication Law (R.A. 11203 or Rice Liberalization Act), which removed the restriction on the quantity of rice that can be imported to the country. As the market is flooded with imported rice, farm gate price of locally produced paddy took a dive by as much as 30% from its price prior to the implementation of the law and the company saw this as an opportunity to contribute positively.
SeedWorks Philippines has been making efforts the past two (2) years to promote US 88 milled rice as premium long grain, soft when cooked, and U.S. or Ubod ng Sarap (translated as very delicious). The company has been giving farmers and consumers with sample US 88 milled rice in 500-gram packs.
