Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija — A leader of a farmers cooperative here disputed Tuesday a claim of a former provincial official that planting hybrid rice is more expensive than producing the traditional rice.

“I admit that planting the hybrid rice variety is expensive, but as has been proven, its yield is much, much higher than inbred (Inaamin ko na ang pagtatanim ng hybrid rice variety ay malaki ng kaunti ang nagagastos, ngunit may pruweba naman na hamak laki ang inaani dito kumpara sa inbred),” said Florencio Sudoy, chairman of the 150-strong Bagong Buhay ng Mabini Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BBMMPC) based here.

Sudoy said that in his barangay, practically all the farmers are now planting the high-yielding SL-8H hybrid rice variety “because of the benefits we are getting in terms of yield and income.’’ “Talaga namang halos lahat kami na bumubuo ng kooperatibang ito ay masasaya dahil nga sa sunod-sunod na taong paglaki ng aming inaaning palay na hybrid,’’ he said.

Sudoy cited the case of Nemencio Pantaleon, a member of his group, who made a record harvest of 245 cavans per hectare. Pantaleon’s harvest last year, he said, was only 134 cavans. “Tumaas ang kanyang ani ngayon ng 111 cabanes kada ektarya,’’ he said.