THE Department of Agriculture (DA)-Central Luzon conducted a Rice Program Meeting at Hacienda Gracia Hotel in Lubao town from March 9 to 10, 2022.

The meeting was led by the Rice Banner Program with provincial counterparts.

The DA, in a statement, said that during the first day, topics such as Philippine Statistics Authority Final Estimates NIA Early Wet Program Areas, Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture, Seed Distribution Dry Season 2020-2021 and Wet Season 2022, Fertilizer Voucher 2021 and Fertilizer Voucher 2022 allocation, 2021 Solar Power Fertigation System and Small-Scale Irrigation Project, 2022 Farm Mechanization, and Local Farmer Technicians were discussed by various assigned DA personnel.

Rice Program Focal Person Lowell Rebillaco presented the updates on the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA) Program, while Amelita Londonio updated the attendees with regards to the Farm Clustering, Farmer Field School, and Rice Crop Manager targets.

Rice Report Officer Mario Somera raised and tackled issues and concerns regarding price monitoring, planting, and harvesting, training on GAP-Rice, Soil Health and Rejuvenation Training, Women’s Group for Mushroom Production.

Present during the activity were Regional Technical Director Dr. Eduardo Lapuz Jr., Field Operations Division Chief Ms. Elma Mananes, Supervising Agriculturist Eduviges Pelayo, Agricultural Provincial Coordinating Officer of every province in Central Luzon, and other DA staff.