The Department of Agriculture (DA) Central Luzon Regional Field Office (RFO) will provide eight warehouses and drying facilities to the Province of Nueva Ecija within the next three months as additional support to the local rice farmers.

On Feb. 25, 2020, Agriculture Secretary William Dar and RFO Director Crispulo Bautista, Jr. said that the facilities also serve as a recognition and reward to the province’s initiative in helping farmers recover from the falling prices of palay by buying and processing them.

Secretary Dar stressed that local government units (LGUs) must be at the forefront of development, particularly with the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), which is considered as a game-changer in the country’s agriculture sector.

He implored the LGUs, farmers, traders, and consumers to support the local rice industry and the proper implementation of the RTL to realize its benefits in the long run.

“Importation is not the priority. We want to improve our current rice adequacy level from 85 percent to 95 and eventually to 100 percent by increasing our productivity and reducing the cost of production,” Dar said.

He explained that the P12/kg average cost of production could be cut in half through the P10-billion worth Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) under the RTL making farmers more competitive with its mechanization, seed distribution, credit, and extension components.

Dar also underscored the importance of collaborative projects among LGUs, farmer cooperatives, private companies, and the national government during his visit at the Nueva Ecija Rice EduFarm in Barangay Homestead, Talavera. ### (Gumamela Celes Bejarin, DA-AFID)