Philippine province tests water-saving rice farming with Japanese support

By Andre Alfonso R. Gutierrez

In the northern Philippines, a new rice-farming experiment is underway, aimed at conserving water and lowering emissions in one of the world’s most resource-intensive agricultural sectors.

Nueva Vizcaya, a landlocked province known for its rice fields, has teamed up with Japanese environmental firm Green Carbon Inc. to trial a sustainable method of rice production that may help shield the crop from climate-driven threats such as water shortages and rising temperatures.

At the centre of the pilot programme is a technique known as Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), which departs from the longstanding practice of continuous field flooding.

Instead, AWD allows rice paddies to dry at intervals, using significantly less water while maintaining comparable yields.

A shift in Southeast Asian farming

The trial, currently being rolled out in the municipalities of Solano, Villaverde, Bayombong, and Dupax del Norte, involves 18 farmers and technical support from Nueva Vizcaya State University.

The AWD technique is not new, having been promoted by international agencies such as the International Rice Research Institute, but its adoption remains limited in many parts of Southeast Asia, where traditional irrigation systems remain the norm.

Green Carbon Inc’s project development manager Maria Theresa Jaraza told the Philippine Information Agency that the choice of Nueva Vizcaya was driven by the province’s openness to agricultural innovation.

She also stressed that the programme seeks not only to boost productivity but to upskill farmers through training and technology transfer.

With the support of local officials, including Provincial Administrator Jovito Celestino and engineer Edgardo Sabado, the project is gathering data to assess both environmental and economic impacts.

Sustainability through collaboration

Takato Senoo, Corporate Operations Officer at Green Carbon Inc., said the pilot reflects a growing need for international partnerships that can deliver practical responses to environmental pressures on agriculture.

Aside from its water-saving potential, AWD also contributes to climate mitigation. Rice fields are a known source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas released by flooded paddies.

Reducing the frequency of flooding can lower these emissions, offering a double benefit in terms of both resource conservation and climate action.

As countries across Asia and beyond grapple with the competing demands of food security and environmental sustainability, Nueva Vizcaya’s experiment with AWD could provide a model for low-cost, scalable reform, especially for nations with water-stressed rice belts.

Though still in its early stages, the project signals a growing momentum toward climate-smart farming, supported by cross-border collaboration and community-level innovation.

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