CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Aimed at supporting the food production frontliners, especially on rice, the Department of Agriculture – Northern Mindanao (DA-10) kicked off recently the National Rice Program (NRP) – Fertilizer Discount Voucher System to Rice Farmers in Kibawe, Bukidnon.
Also known as the NRP-Fertilizer Discount Voucher Support, a total of 20 farmers received said support amounting to P32,912.10 for the town of Kibawe, including 10 farmers from the town of Damulog with an allotment of P21,262.80.
The fertilizer discount voucher is worth P1,131.00 per hectare for inbred rice, and P2,262.00 per hectare for hybrid rice.
With the agri inputs’ assistance, DA-10 OIC-Regional Executive Director Milo D. delos Reyes emphasized the importance of having farmers be registered in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) as it forms part in the prioritization and availment of agriculture and fishery-related government services such as financial assistance, subsidiary funding, insurance services, among others.
The agri chief exec further urged for the individual farmers to form into clusters, especially those eyeing to seek big-ticket projects from the agency.
Meanwhile, Manuela M. Adtoon, a hybrid rice farmer from Damulog town, expressed her gladness for the provision of fertilizer discount vouchers, saying: ” The voucher can really help us save from buying fertilizers, particularly now of its increasing prices in the market.”
Preferably, farmer-beneficiaries of this support are those rice farmers who have received high-quality seeds for adoption of high-yielding technologies, and to those rice producing areas with low fertilizer adoption rate.
Of which, the regional target is pegged at P121-million, covering a total of 62,032 hectares of rice for inbred and hybrid rice.
Recognizing the fertilizer support, Bukidnon OIC-Provincial Agriculturist Jacqueline Julia A. Lagamon expressed her optimism that under the helm of President-Secretary Marcos, the push to reduce the prices of rice will be attained as part of food security.
Also attending the launching was Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga, Consultant Joel S. Rudinas and Bukidnon provincial operations chief Janet D. Lopez, DVM of DA-10.
