AN OFFICIAL of the Department of Agriculture (DA) has advised the local government to start sourcing out rice supply in preparation for the stoppage of rice importation by the national government.

Melba Wee, regional technical director for Research, Policy Planning and Regulatory, and Integrated Laboratories, issued the advice as Zamboanga City will be greatly affected by it.

Wee said the local government officials, at this early, should meet and discuss with the officials of the provinces of Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga del Norte to sell their rice surplus to the city.

The three provinces serve as the rice granary of the region since Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga del Norte have 23,000 hectares, 46,699 hectares and 19,000 hectares of rice, respectively.

Zamboanga City depends on importation since it is not rice self-sufficient, as there are only 5,156 hectares of farmlands planted to rice with a million population.

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered DA Secretary William Dar to suspend rice importation to help the local farmers to earn more.

Duterte has also asked Congress to appropriate sufficient fund intended to buy the produce of local rice farmers. (SunStar Zamboanga)