Six top rice-producing provinces in the country allotted an initial combined P1.6-billion fund as they heeded the challenge of Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar to directly engage in the rice industry value chain to prop up palay prices.

These are Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan.

The respective provincial leaders will use their respective funds to bankroll their direct engagement in the rice industry value chain – from palay-buying, drying, milling to rice marketing.

During a visit in Cauayan, Isabela on August 20, 2019, the agri chief learned that Isabela has been directly buying palay from their farmers in recent years.

“Isabela has elevated its direct engagement in the rice industry value chain, allotting P450 million this year, under the leadership of Governor Rodolfo Albano and Vice-Governor Faustino Dy III.

During his sorties over the weekend in Nueva Ecija, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan, Secretary Dar shared the “Isabela model” to provincial leaders of the five provinces who responded favorably and took on the challenge.

Nueva Ecija Governor Aurelio Umali has initially committed P250M; Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc, P200M; Ilocos Sur Vice Governor Jeremias Singson, P200M; Pangasinan Governor Amado “Pogi” Espino, P300M; and La Union Vice-Governor Mario Ortega, P200M.

“With the buying price of palay at 14 percent moisture content set at P17 per kilo, these six provinces could procure roughly 91,176 metric tons of palay from farmers this wet season harvest,” Dar said.

“Further, using the current national palay harvest average of roughly 4MT per hectare, the P1.6B additional fund from the six provinces could make about 27,000 small rice farmers and their families happy,” he added. ### (Daryl Lou A. Battad)