Tuesday, April 17, 2007 DA to subsidize 50T hectares of rice farms in C. Mindanao
RICE production in Central Mindanao region will get a boost as the Department of Agriculture announced that at least 50,000 hectares of farmlands will receive government subsidy worth at least P22 million.
Ray Embajador, DA-Central Mindanao regional coordinator for the Gintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) Rice program, said recently their agency would subsidize half the price of certified rice seeds farmers would procure for the wet season in May to October this year.
A bag of certified rice seed costs P880 but the farmers will have to shell only P440, he said, adding that a bag is enough for a hectare of land.
However, Embajador stressed that only farmers whose lands are in the lowlands and fed by rains can avail of the program.
"This certified rice seed program for the wet season is in support to the hunger mitigation program of the President [Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]," he explained.
Urging farmers who passed the requirement to avail the program, Embajador noted the subsidy would give them relief.
Embajador said the regional Agriculture department has a separate program for hybrid rice production, which he did not elaborate.
Under the certified rice seed program, North Cotabato is given top priority with an allotment of 16,255 bags; Sultan Kudarat, around 16,000 bags; South Cotabato, 15,495; and Sarangani, 3,260 bags.
Embajador said beneficiaries will also be able to avail of subsidy on herbicide. If a farmer gets a sack of certified rice seed, when he buys herbicide he could also get large discount for each bottle, he noted.
A liter of herbicide costs P300 but the farmer will only have to pay P60 and the rest will be subsidized by the government, Embajador explained.
He said they are still looking for suppliers or stores that will be accredited by the agency where farmers could get the farm inputs.
Abusama Alid, regional director of the Agriculture department, also asked farmers to grab the chance to increase the region's rice production this year.
He disclosed that in 2006, the region produced 1.15 million metric tons of rice in 319,762 hectares.
"We contributed 31 percent to Mindanao's rice production and 7.49 percent to the national rice production of 15.33 million metric tons," Alid said.
He said the regional office is intent on increasing rice production this year, particularly hybrid varieties.
"We will continue intensifying (the) hybrid seed (program) in irrigated areas covered by the National Irrigation System," Alid pledged.
For the hybrid rice seed program, he said an amount of P35 million was allotted for this year.
