TO address the needs of agriculture stakeholders to have easier access to science-based rice information, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) launched new social media accounts during its Farmers Field Day dubbed “Lakbay Palay” in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, on March 20-21. The institute’s page on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@philricetv/shorts) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@rice_matters) were created based on rice stakeholders’ demand for rice information on the two social media platforms.

In a survey conducted on the Department of Agriculture-PhilRice Facebook page, 87 percent of the 1,205 respondents indicated that they search for rice information on YouTube while in another poll, the majority of over 200 respondents expressed an interest in obtaining farming tips on TikTok.

“The spread of science misinformation can lead to the adoption of harmful practices, which can have unfavorable effects on crop yield, farmer income and food security. We established these pages as credible sources, in which information was checked and based on rigorous research of rice experts,” said Charisma Love Gado-Gonzales, project lead of PhilRice’s Production and Sharing of Rice S&T through Strategic Media.

Virginia Rihad, the president of the Casongsong Farmers Association in Guimba, Nueva Ecija, stated that as a lead officer, she bears the responsibility of disseminating the latest information on rice production, which she often sources from social media.

“We wanted to know more about the technologies we read on print, and videos provide us with an interactive platform to deepen our understanding and see these technologies in action,” she said.

For her part, farmer Jemalyn Ranjo from Morong, Bataan, said she was enthusiastic about the presence of PhilRice videos on social media as these will make farming more attractive to the younger generation. “Through the videos, the youth see that agriculture has significantly improved through machines, making farming much easier,” she said.

Ranzcel Lanz Reyes of Bataan Peninsula State University said he is excited about the “new noble cause” of TikTok, believing it serves a dual purpose of reaching more farmers and engaging the youth who will sustain agriculture.

Conducted twice a year, the Lakbay Palay events of PhilRice also showcases the latest rice varieties and farming technologies to more than 1,000 participants over two days.

Published Date: March 28, 2024