Around 35,000 Filipino households are expected to benefit from high-zinc rice by 2028, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) announced.
PhilRice recently completed the country’s first harvest of two zinc-rich rice varieties, NSIC Rc 460 and NSIC Rc 648, at its Negros Occidental station.
These varieties aim to combat zinc deficiency, a major factor contributing to stunting in Filipino children.
One serving of the rice can provide up to 25 percent of the daily zinc needs of preschoolers.
PhilRice plans to distribute the high-zinc rice to priority areas with high stunting rates, including Pangasinan, Quezon, and Iloilo.
Source: PhilNews24 | July 21, 2025
