Farmers start producing own certified palay seeds

STA. BARBARA – The province of Pangasinan has started producing certified seeds for the local farmers after the Department of Agriculture (DA) stopped its certified seed subsidy program in 2010.

To help out the Pangasinense farmers, the Provincial Government and Abono party-list partnered, in cooperation with the DA introduced the program Accelerated Certified Seed Production, tapping local farmers as seed growers.

Governor Amado Espino Jr. said the program aims to teach farmers latest farm technologies.

Espino, Abono party-list founding chairman; Rosendo So, DA-OIC Regional Director Valentino Perdido; and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Regional Director Nestor Domenden led on Thursday the distribution of certified palay seeds and tilapia fingerlings at the provincial nursery here.

"I hope that Pangasinese farmers will be self-sufficient in the future and no longer depended to government subsidies," the governor said while sharing to the farmers what they saw in Taiwan recently.

He said Pangasinan will remain as an agricultural province in the next 50 years, thus, the Provincial Government strengthening its agricultural programs to help the local farmers.

Phase I of the Accelerated Certified Seed Production and Distribution was conducted in 2010. The plan was hatched by Espino and Abono party-list Representative Robert Raymund Estrella.

Only the town of Asingan in the sixth district was tapped as pilot area for the production of certified palay seeds with 25 hectares of rice land was planted certified seeds.

Seeing the success of the project and the benefit it gave to farmers, Espino allotted P2.5-million financial assistance for the Phase II of the project.

Abono party-list national president Ponciano Onia Jr. said one town/city in each of the six districts was identified as certified seed growing area.

There were 30 hectares in Sual, 40 in Mangatarem, 30 in Sta. Barbara, 20 in Mangaldan, 32 in Urdaneta City, and 35 in Asingan town.

The farmer-recipients were trained on certified seed production for them to also become certified seed growers themselves.

For the Phase II distribution, a total of 8,750 cavans of certified seeds will be distributed, the farmers will be receiving their seed subsidy at identified distribution area at their respective district.

Meanwhile, some 400,000 tilapia fingerlings were also distributed and will be released at communal bodies of water in the province.

These fingerlings were raised at the province’s three nurseries.

Provincial Agriculture Officer-in-charge Dalisay Moya said this project is aimed at increasing the province’s rice and fish production to help augment the income and production yield of marginal farmers. (Sunnex)