The Agriculture Department is set to seal a partnership with the local seed growers of San Roque, Northern Samar for the establishment of a rice seed production area in Eastern Visayas.
Secretary Manny Piñol, San Roque Mayor Don Abalon and representatives of the Samar Island Seed Producers signed on February 22, 2019 a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the development of about 2,000 hectares (ha) of land into rice seed production areas under the Samar Island Rice Production Program
“In this town will rise modern rice farming,” Piñol said.
Under the MOU, a group of farmers from North Cotabato represented by Mr. Nathaniel Fabila will lead the development of an initial 200 ha rice farm to serve as demonstration site for the Samar farmers.
“Each land owner who will participate in this project will receive P15,000/ha every year. There will be an advance payment for 2 years and a 10 percent increase every year thereafter,” Piñol said.
Furthermore, Piñol said farmers who are not willing to lease out their farms but wish to learn seed production will still receive technical and financial assistance.
The Department, thru the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), will allocate a loan fund of P40 million (M) to fund the seed production program.
Under the MOU, the Seed Producers’ group will be provided with technologies such as solar-powered irrigation system, farm machinery, laser-guided field leveller, as well as monitoring, geo-tagging and data encoding technologies.
The agri chief said the program is part of the preparation of the agency to assist farmers with good and certified seeds starting next year nationwide.
“They will be taught to grow premium rice varieties like RC 218, RC 300 and RC 160 which command a high buying price,” Piñol said.
A three-kilometer farm-to-market road worth P30 M that will connect Barangays Zone 3 and Malibago in San Roque will also be constructed.
“I want Samar to be recognized as one of the progressive provinces in the next three years,” Piñol said. ### (Kristel Merle, DA-AFID)
