Renucci Rice – Regenerative Native Undertaking By Citizens Collectively Cultivating Cereal Intelligently & Inspiringly!

Are Filipinos world-class citizens and lovers of good food? “Lovers of good food” I can swear to – here is inspiring news I learned only today arising from the World Rice Conference held in Makati (Manila) 3 years ago, in Nov 2019: Renucci Rice is “World’s 3^rd Best” – after Vietnam’s and Thailand’s rices. The first time is always the best time!

I confess that I, a wide reader in the digital world, did not know this before until my friend Jerry A Quibilan sent me an email note pointing to Jarius Bondoc’s article in The Philippine Star (12 Oct 2022, “Leyte Rice Is World’s 3rd Best; Other Provinces Can Aspire Too” (philstar.com). Very much welcome news – and then I noted that Mr Bondoc is reporting news that is 3 years old! Mr Bondoc says:

Leyte-[grown] Renucci Rice is the world’s third best. Although a last-minute entry in the World Rice Conference in Makati, November 2019, it beat 27 other [entries] in appearance, texture, moisture, aroma and grain length. Only perennial winners Vietnam and Thailand, preparing two years [before], bested it. Renucci Rice’s win is the first for the Philippines.

Better late than never! Better Third than Last!

Note that the Renucci Rice is a latecomer in production and a last-minute entry – but it won in terms of appearance, texture, moisture, aroma, and grain length. You don’t win if you don’t excel!

That’s when I recalled that Renucci Rice is organicallygrown. (See my essay, “Modernization Of PH Agriculture – Lessons For All From Dalisay Rice,” 27 Oct 2019, The Rise Of Rice, blogspot.com). In that essay, I enumerated 5 Firsts associated with Renucci Rice produced by the couple Patrick & Rachel Renucci, the 5^th being:

High-quality produce. “Dalisay” is organic white rice. At the very beginning, the Renuccis went after a product that everyone could be proud of, that their farmer producers could be proud of anywhere in the world. That is priceless!

I'm in love with organic. I’ve been in love with organic something like 56 years, since I chanced on American gentleman farmer Edward H Faulkner’s ardent espousal of “trash farming,” by which organic trash becomes healthy fertilizer that grows healthy crops that bear healthy foods for healthy animal and human bodies.

Vicky Ramos says on the Renuccis’ Facebook page:

I used to be a Japanese rice consumer for the longest time. Tried this [Renucci Rice] and it’s just WOW. The smell, texture, and most importantly the taste is world-class. Not to mention that it is much cheaper than the… Japanese rice. Will stick to this from now on. I am very grateful that I found you. Best of luck to our Filipino rice growers.

Googling, I find that Vietnam’s rice is notorganically grown, while Thailand’s is – started by a local monk 40+ years ago (Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org).

Now then, I have a new meaning to the word “Renucci” – “Regenerative native undertaking by citizens collectively cultivating cereal intelligently & inspiringly!”

Farmers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chemical chains!@517