PARACELIS, Mountain Province – The Cordillera office of the Department of Agriculture (DA-CAR) awarded P105, 624,411.94 worth of various rice interventions for the rice farmers in Mountain Province during the provincial National Rice Awareness Month (NRAM) Information Caravan and Consultation cum Turn-over Ceremony recently at Sinigpit here.
As a special tribute to rice farmers, various completed projects and different interventions were awarded to boost agricultural production and increase farmers’ income as an empowerment measure to help attain the priority concerns of the country.
The interventions include the PhP 84,727,800 worth from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA) Program to be distributed to 16,452 rice farmers registered with the Registry System for the Basic Sectors in Agriculture tilling two hectares and below and P12.5 million worth of seeds, fertilizers, and soil ameliorant to be distributed to the individual qualified rice farmers.
The completed five irrigation systems and one warehouse worth around P8.387 million were also awarded to the different association-beneficiaries in the province.
The Lettok Farmers Association Banawel, Natonin, Chinakhop Farmers and Irrigators Association Tocucan, Bontoc, and Barangay Poblacion, Sabangan were awarded the rehabilitation of irrigation canals. Moreover, Torod Palitud Integrated Farmers Association of Palitod, Paracelis, and Tongfu Farmers Association of Tonglayan, Natonin were awarded the construction and rehabilitation of diversion dams, respectively. Lastly, Butigue Kapamilya Farmers Association Inc. of Butigue, Paracelis was awarded a warehouse.
DA-CAR Regional Executive Director Cameron Odsey conveyed in a message delivered by David Sumalag, Assistant Provincial Coordinator of the office, “Mamati ak nga ada ti nasayaat nga nagbaliwana iti apit yu ken nangnangruna iti panagbiag yu. Yantangay garud ta nanaynayunan manen iti naawat yu nga para iti pagsayaatan, dakkel ti talek ko kanyayu nga aywanan yu dagitoy ken isuro yu pay kadagiti sumaruno nga henerasyon tapnu haan nga mapukaw.” (I believe that there are positive changes in your yield, especially in your lives with the different interventions received. As you have received additional interventions, I strongly believe that you will take good care of these and teach it for the future generation to use so that it will not be lost.)
Meanwhile, Governor Bonifacio Lacwasan Jr. conveyed his gratitude for the continuing support of the department to the farmers of the province and challenged the farmers to also continue supporting the country with their diligent production of rice and other commodities.
Cidon Caison, a rice farmer from Natonin, thanked the department and the local governments for the various supports that the farmers are receiving. Caison also emphasized that the labor of farmers is vital and should be given importance even by the farmers themselves, with the different interventions the farmers have received, Caison persuaded his fellow farmers to continue tilling the land.
Further, as part of the NRAM celebration, different rice-based research results were presented to the participants and the technicians of soil ameliorant echoed the different advantages of using the ameliorant instead of inorganic fertilizers.
