LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Around 2,000 farmers of the third and fourth district of the province received the supplemental subsidized certified palay seeds and fertilizer package from the Provincial Government of Pangasinan.
Governor Amado “Pogi” I. Espino, III led the agricultural aid pack distribution ceremony held recently at the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg) field station in Sta. Barbara.
“This is an augmentation to the earlier 23,900 agri-relief given to our farmers through the help of the Department of Agriculture (DA) through DA Regional Director Valentin Perdido for those areas with farmers who are planting this latter part of the year,” Gov. Espino said.
The provincial chief executive added that the ongoing distribution is part of the agro-industrial program of the provincial government, which he vowed to sustain to raise the quality of life of the local farmers.
He also bared that the provincial government is bracing for the reported incoming La Niña season next year by implementing continuous repair and construction of the province’s irrigation facilities and equipment.
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Nestor Batalla in his presentation said that the supplemental agri-aid package aims to help the farmer beneficiaries to increase rice yield to at least one metric ton per hectare (MT/ha) during the dry cropping season from October 2016 to March 2017.
Such would boost collective rice production in the two legislative districts by 2,000 MT/ha for season.
Fifty percent of the cost of the agri-aid is shouldered by the provincial government while the other half will be borne by the farmers.
Comprising the aid are one bag of certified palay seeds, two bags of urea fertilizer and two bags of 14-14-14 fertilizer, which cost had been halved to P 2,450 from the original market price of P 4,900.
“The use of certified seeds and appropriate package of technology is one of the vital components in rice production… which resulted to increased rice yield… in 23 municipalities,” Batalla added.
He noted that these initiatives have secured the province the Rice Achievers Award from 2013-2015 and further elevated to hall of fame citation April this year.
Pangasinan stands still as the 3rd top rice-producing province in the Philippines.
Also present during the ceremony were OPAg-Officer-in-Charge Dalisay Moya and Mapandan Mayor Gerald Glenn Tambaoan.
Farmer beneficiaries hailed from the towns of Bayambang, Calasiao, Malasiqui, Mapandan, Sta. Barbara and City of San Carlos in the 3rd district and Manaoag, Mangaldan, San Fabian and San Jacinto in the 4th district.
By Dexter A. See
