BAMBANG, Nueva Vizcaya — The year 2021 has been a very productive year for rice and corn farmers in the provinces of Isabela, Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino, according to the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office-2 (DA-RFO2).
DA-RFO2 Executive Director Narciso Edillo said Cagayan Valley (Region 2) posted an all-time high rice and corn production in 2021.
“Aside from the kind and friendly weather, the government’s interventions have quite lessened their burdens. With sympathetic and merciful atmospheric conditions this year, we can make it up again,” Edillo said during his weekly radio program “Director’s Hour” at DZDA 105.3 hosted by Ding Fugaban.
“For farmers who plant hybrid rice, they attain bigger average yields and income per hectare,” Edillo said.
Citing a report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the DA said the country’s national palay (unhusked rice) and corn production hit record levels at 19.96 million metric tons (MT) and 8.3 MT, respectively in 2021.
Also speaking in a phone patch interview over Fugaban’s DZDA “Agrimedyo” program, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said palay and corn production levels are the highest in the country’s history under the President Rodrigo Duterte administration.
“Thanks to our continued strong partnership with organized farmers’ groups, local government units, the private sector, other institutions, and rice and corn industry stakeholders,” Dar said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ferdinand Cortez, DA-RFO2 public relations officer and broadcast unit head, said based on Dr. Marvin Luis, Regional Rice Program head, the Cagayan Valley has contributed 14.58 percent to the national production making the region one of the top producers in the country.
According to Cortez, Isabela topped other provinces from 1.3 MT in 2020 to 1.4 MT in 2021 followed by Cagayan with 921,000 MT in 2020 and 1 MT in 2021; Nueva Vizcaya with 253,000 MT in 2020 and 308,000 MT in 2021; and Quirino with 110,000 MT in 2020 and 124,000 MT in 2021, which is 9.98 percent in the national production.
The DA-RFO2 also noted that based on the PSA report, Cagayan Valley’s corn production also hit big as it has increased 4.37 percent in its target versus actual production.
Cortez also cited a report by Paul Vincent Balao, Regional Corn Program head, which revealed that Cagayan has produced 137,000 MT, Isabela with 244,000 MT, Nueva Vizcaya with 17,000 MT, and Quirino with 33,000 MT.
According to the DA, a bigger budget, focused plans and interventions, and hardworking farmers and industry partners translated to record-breaking sectoral performance as the all-time high marker hit the statistics.
Cortez said these include P15 billion for the national rice program and rice resiliency project, P10 billion for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, P7 billion for the National Food Authority and P30 billion for the National Irrigation Administration. For the corn program, the DA spent P1.5 billion last year.
SOURCE: https://www.manilatimes.net
