TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) program, the Department of Agriculture (DA)-PhilRice provided fertilizer subsidy for rice farmers in this city.
The selected beneficiaries, who are registered under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), received two bags of ‘abono’ or fertilizers for every hectare of agricultural land.
The other three components of the RCEF under PhilRice are the provision of farm machinery and equipment through PhilMech, credit assistance from the Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines, and extension services from the Agricultural Training Institute and Technical Assistance and Skills Development Authority.
Aside from fertilizers, farmers were also given assistance with their intervention monitoring card.
Representatives from the DA and DBP also attended the Agri-Puhunan event at the Pantawid Program for Rice Farmers, which provides farmers with a two-month subsistence allowance and low-interest loan.
The OfCAS reiterated that farmers and fisherfolks should enlist under the RSBSA in order to avail the services and programs offered by the national government through the DA and the city government.
Prior to the distribution, the OfCAS profiled the data of local farmers and oversaw the distribution of certified rice seeds at Kintoman Ricemill in Brgy. Appas, which greatly helps them by reducing their financial burden from the high cost of agricultural inputs. Additionally, some farmers were assisted with their RSBSA enrollment. By Darwin S. Serion