THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has confirmed that President Rodrigo Duterte will visit Negros Occidental for the launching of the “Bigas ng Masa” program next month, a Capitol executive said.
Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino, in an interview at the sidelines of the Earth Hour activity at SM City Bacolod Saturday, March 24, said he received communication from the DA that the Office of the President has approved the arrival of the President to the province.
Masculino said there is no specific date yet for the launching, as well as the memorandum of agreement signing of the Bigas ng Masa program most probably in April.
“We earlier requested if his visit can be scheduled during the Panaad sa Negros Festival, however, the President has prior commitments so they are looking for another date,” he added.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, who visited the province’s Rice Processing Center (RPC) earlier this month, announced that a proposed tripartite agreement between the DA, Provincial Government of Negros Occidental, and a farmers’ cooperative will make the province the country’s pilot area in the implementation of the Bigas ng Masa program.
The partnership will result to the selling of commercial rice at less than P40 per kilogram.
Piñol proposed that the operation of RPC will be turned over to a farmers’ cooperative.
The cooperative will be given P20 million in loan by the DA through the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) so they could provide their members production loans under the Production Loan Easy Access (Plea) program.
Piñol said another P20 million will be loaned out to the cooperative by the ACPC to be used in buying the produce of its members.
The produce will be milled in the RPC and the rice will be sold among Bigas ng Masa outlets to be established by the Provincial Government in all towns and other population centers in Negros Occidental, he added.
Masculino said the presence of Duterte during the program launching would mean that the government is really concerned of rice production to achieve supply sufficiency.
“It would also boost the morale of our farmers seeing the highest official of the country leading a program aimed for their development,” Masculino said.
Aside from rice production, other concerns like support services, financing, market price, and mechanization, among others, will also be tackled during Duterte’s visit, he added.