SAMAL, Bataan —Farmers from this municipality who are tilling at least one-half hectare of rice land are qualified to receive fertilizer subsidies from the government, it was announced here by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The DA, under the leadership of newly appointed Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, distributed some 600 bags of inorganic fertilizers to rice farmers here on Thursday, December 21, a fitting Christmas gift because it was free.
Agriculture technician Rico Mendoza of the municipal agriculture office said they have also scheduled distribution of 1,000 bags more on December 27, before New Year’s eve.
Mendoza said the fertilizer distribution is part of the DA's Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Program where farmers also receive free palay (unmilled rice) seeds.
A farmer who is tilling at least one-half hectare of rice land and has registered under the DA program is entitled to a bag of rice seeds and 5 kilos of fertilizers. Mendoza said all farmers in Samal will be included in the program.
It can be recalled that the DA infused this year an additional P4.1 billion into the government’s fertilizer subsidy program to help alleviate the burden on local rice farmers of the rising cost of the farm input.
In a memorandum order dated Oct. 17, the DA said the money would enable rice farmers to meet the recommended urea fertilizer usage and, in turn, increase rice production in the country.
“This fund shall be used by beneficiaries as a discount on the retail price of urea fertilizers,” the memorandum read.
Urea is the most common fertilizer used by local farmers. As of Sept. 30, urea was selling at P2,523.08 per 50-kilogram bag, surging by 64.7 percent from P1,531.78 a year ago, according to the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority.
The DA earlier earmarked P5.85 billion for the implementation of the fertilizer discount voucher project under the National Rice Program (NRP), covering almost 3 million hectares of land nationwide.
The fund, which is from the DA’s 2022 budget, covers the subsidy program for the 2022 wet season, or from June to August, as well as the 2002-2023 dry planting season from December to March next year.
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