TACLOBAN CITY --- Even with the deluge of various food type, rice remains to be the number one staple food in Eastern Visayas, thus, there is a need to further boost the production of said commodity in the region. Aside from the implementation of different interventions under the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office-8’s Rice Program, one of the strategies undertaken is the continuous coordination with key partners at the Local Government Units.
A Consultation/Meeting was then conducted by the DA-RFO 8’s Rice Program together with Provincial/City/Municipal Agriculturists in the six provinces of the region, aimed at orienting key partners about the latest directives and programs in the development of the rice industry. Batch 1 was held on February 21-24, 2017 for the provinces of Samar, Northern Samar and Eastern Samar while batch 2 & 3 was on March 2-3, 2017 for the provinces of Leyte, Southern Leyte and Biliran.
Ms Ma. Remedios M. Ambida, DA-RFO 8’s Rice Program Action Officer cited the need to help farmers in the region especially that there will be no more quantitative restriction for rice. Economic borders are knocked down making it easier for rice products from other countries to enter the Philippine market scene. “Let us together face this challenge and take the hands of the younger generation in developing our rice industry,” Ms Ambida averred.
Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the region was able to produce 954,844 metric tons of rice in 2016 with an average yield of 3.56 mt/ha. This may be attributed to the various rice-related interventions implemented for the year. Program direction for 2017 will still focus on the utilization of high quality seeds, adoption of high-yielding technology, bufferstocking, farm mechanization, irrigation network services and extension support.
The High Quality Seeds for Adverse Ecosystem is a strategy that promotes quality seeds utilization particularly among farmers planting in rainfed or adverse ecosystem such areas prone to flood, saline and drought, among others. The High Yielding Technology Adoption (HYTA) Roll-Over Scheme, on the other hand, serves to raise farmers’ yield through hybrid rice production technology.
Salient features in the revised guidelines for the provision of agricultural production, postharvest and processing machinery and equipment were also presented stressing the instruction of DA Secretary Emmanuel ‘Manny’ F. Piñol to make available these items as grant to farmer’s associations, however, recipients may provide in-kind equity in the form of shed, land and labor, among others. Irrigation support will still be a major component of the Rice Program through the establishment of Small Scale Irrigation projects such as Small Water Impounding Project, Small Farm Reservoir, small water pumps and solar pumps.
Key partners were likewise oriented about the Rice Crop Manager, an ICT tool developed to provide farmers with fertilizer management practices. Updates on the Gawad Saka Search and Rice Achievers Awards were also laid out. (DA-8)
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