GOVERNORS Eugenio Lacson and Arthur Defensor Jr. of Negros Occidental and Iloilo, respectively, have assured to help rice farmers cope with low prices of palay (unhusked rice).

Department of Agriculture (DA) in Western Visayas director Remelyn Recoter, in a statement, said the two governors are amenable to come up with provincial initiative on addressing the low prices of palay after a series of discussions with them this week.

Recoter said (governor) Defensor will implement the Provincial Livelihood Program for Cooperatives wherein initial fund of P100 million will be sourced out from the Landbank of the Philippines (LBP).

This will be paid by the provincial government in three years at an interest rate of two percent per annum.

“Governor Lacson, meanwhile, is inclined to implement an economic enterprise mode utilizing the Rice Processing Center (RPC) which has drying, milling and storage facilities,” she added.

The Provincial Government of Negros Occidental will partner with all the RPCs in the area to cater the produce of the farmers not accredited and without National Food Authority (NFA) passbook, the regional director said.

Present during the separate discussions with the governors were officials of their respective Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, LBP and NFA.

Recoter said she is thankful that the two governors heeded the challenge of Secretary William Dar to directly engage in the rice industry value chain.

This is in order to provide direct solution to the plugging palay prices, Recoter said.

In Negros Occidental, the average prevailing price in the province is P13 to P14 per kilogram.

This is lower than the previous P18 to P20 per kilogram, before the implementation of the rice tariffication law.

“Meetings are also scheduled for the remaining four governors in the region to discuss the program to address prevailing buying price of palay during this harvest season,” she added.