The agriculture department fully supports the heirloom rice production in the different parts of the Cordillera as part of the priorities of the national government in ensuring food security in the country.
Agriculture Undersecretary for Rice Engr. Christopher Morales said that the department already endorsed a substantial budget that had been proposed by the DA-CAR for the restoration of the rice terraces in various parts of the region that will be included in the proposed annual budget for next year aside from the more than PhP70 million that had been allocated by the agency for the same purpose in this year’s budget.
He pointed out that the proposed rehabilitation of the rice terraces will not only be to support the heirloom rice production but also to improve potentials for tourism and more importantly for environmental preservation and protection.
The DA official also recognized the importance of putting in place strategic rice storage facilities that will consolidate the supply of heirloom rice to guarantee continuous supply of the various varieties to cater to the increasing market of specialty rice, especially in the international market, where it commands higher buying prices, that will be beneficial to the heirloom rice farmers.
The Cordillera remains a major producer of various varieties of heirloom rice that is being sold locally and internationally because it is organically grown by the farmers in rice terraces in the different provinces.
For his part, Assistant Secretary for Logistics Daniel Atayde also emphasized the need to put up tramlines in strategic areas in the region to be able to easily transport the agricultural produce, including heirloom rice, of the farmers from their farms situated on the mountain slopes to the nearest market at the earliest possible time to help in stabilizing the supply of quality agricultural products for the increasing number of consumers.
He stipulated that the establishments of tramlines in strategic areas in the region is the most practical, cheap and realistic intervention that could be immediately provided by the government to help farmers bring their produce to the markets at the earliest possible time after harvest to lessen the chances of being damaged that reduces the opportunity for farmer to earn higher income and command higher buying prices for their produce.
According to him, the construction of farm-to-market roads entails greater fund allocations that may take some time to be realized considering the government’s limited resources that is why the agency is considering short-term solutions that will help in easing the burden of farmers in transporting their produce to the nearest markets.
Both officials recognized the important contributions of the Cordillera in sustaining the limited supply of heirloom rice in the market but strategic measures should be immediately put in place with the support of concerned stakeholders to help farmers access more markets for their produce.
Based on the data obtained from the DA-CAR, there are more than 380 varieties of heirloom rice being produced in the different parts of the region where each of the varieties have their own definitive characteristics. By Dexter A. See
