Author : Ledesma, Vivian Teresa M.

Summary : Like the Roma god, Janua, hybrid rice technology symbolizes change and transition, the shift from the traditional inbred rice to "high-tech", high-yielding varieties. To its proponents, hybrid rice production is one of the best options to increase farm productivity and income among the existing rice technologies today. To its detractors, on the other hand, the available technology, while promising, is still not commercially viable.

Rice, by nature, is a self-pollinated crop. Hybridization stated when Chines scientist were able to manipulate rice plants to cross-pollinate and result in hybrid combinations. Since then, hybrid rice technology has spread to other countries like India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and the Philippines. The increasing demand of a fast-growing population and the decline in resource base are the reasons why many support this technology.