DA-12 to distribute free seeds, fertilizers to rice farmers

KORONADAL CITY - After the series of briefings about the Rice Resiliency Program (RRP) in Region 12, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will distribute palay seeds and fertilizers for free to rice farmers.

Arlan Mangelen, DA 12 regional executive director, said that the regional office has started Tuesday the RRP orientation in the province of North Cotabato. “We gathered our local government units through its municipal/city agriculturists to inform them about this because they will perform a crucial function in the implementation of this program,” he added.

The regional office conducted the same RRP orientation in Sultan Kudarat on Wednesday and in the province of Sarangani today.

Director Mangelen said that RRP was formulated as the major initiative under the DA’s Ahon Lahat Pagkaing Sapat (ALPAS) kontra COVID-19 Program aimed at sustaining food production in the country.

“We need to elevate our existing programs to address this current situation,” he emphasized.

In Region 12, Director Mangelen disclosed that the regional office has earmarked more than PhP449-million intended for the procurement of production inputs. “Under RRP, we target to reach 132,656 hectares of rice areas as wet cropping season starts,” he said.

He also shared that more than 28,000 bags of hybrid palay seeds, 10,000 bags of inbred palay seeds and more than 104,000 bags of fertilizers are set to be given to the farmer-recipients in the entire region. “The enhanced RCEF will also distribute more than 189,000 bags of fertilizers,” he added.

Under the RRP, the official said that the DA will provide farmers with inbred and hybrid palay seeds with fertilizers in addition to the similar production inputs given under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund and the National Rice Program.

RRP is categorized into three components to complement the programs that the DA currently has for the rice sector.

First, is the RCEF-Enhanced that provides fertilizers to the 947 targeted cities/municipalities to complement the distribution of inbred seeds under the RCEF Seed Component by the Philippine Rice Research Institute.  

Second, is the Expanded Inbred Rice Production or an expanded inbred certified seed distribution, coupled with fertilizers, to enhance production in areas not covered by RCEF seed component but within RCEF and non-RCEF provinces. The fertilizer support will also cover farmers who use good or home-saved seeds.

Lastly, the Expanded Hybrid Rice Production in suitable areas will distribute hybrid palay seeds and fertilizers. This will include fertilizer support for farmer-recipients of hybrid seeds funded under the National Rice Program 2020 allocation for the wet season cropping.

The DA will collaborate with the municipal, city and provincial agriculture offices in the distribution of free palay seeds and fertilizers which is expected to be carried out this month.

The final leg of the RRP orientation will take place in the province of South Cotabato tomorrow.