The DA-National Rice Program to increased farm productivity and boost income.
The National Rice Program (NRP) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) continues to offer assistance to raise farm production and enhance income of ice farmers struggling with the high cost of agricultural inputs.
NRP supplies high-quality inbred and hybrid seeds in 15 regions, totaling 1.8 million hectares(ha), during the wet and dry cropping seasons this year.
Arnel de Mesa, DA Assistant Secretary for Operations, claimed that 582,780 ha of farms have received more than P6.4M worth of seeds.
“NRP has already dispersed P5.32M-worth of hybrid seeds and P1.11M-worth of certified seeds to eligible farmer-beneficiaries this year,” he said.
In addition to the seed subsidies, De Mesa said the government still offers help through the Fertilizer Discount Voucher program, which grants rice farmers registered with the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture a discount on the cost of their fertilizer purchases.
“We give vouchers amounting to P1,131 for every ha planted with inbred, and P2,262 for every ha planted with hybrid,” De Mesa explained.
Beneficiaries may also claim inorganic and organic fertilizers, foliar fertilizers, bio-fertilizers, and bio-stimulants.
“Except for the National Capital Region (NCR) and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, all regions are included in the voucher program,” he added.
As of date, a total of 176,394 vouchers have been generated amounting to more than P285M, the Department of Agriculture reported.
The NRP has been widely disseminating and encouraging the use of nitrogen-fixing bio-fertilizer, which may cut fertilizer consumption by 25–50% while maintaining crop performance, as another part of the DA's assistance for the local rice business.
“Except NCR, this initiative covers 200,000 ha of irrigated (with intermittent irrigation) or favorable rainfed areas across the country,” De Mesa explained, adding that 200 packets of biofertilizer were provided during the project launch in the central Luzon Region.
A total of 165,972 packets are scheduled to be distributed to Ilocano farmers this week.
Tags: #DA-NRP, #Ilocano Farmers, #Rice Farmers, #hybrid seeds