DA to release P3.5 million for Kalinga rice program

By Larry Lopez

TABUK, Kalinga-- The Department of Agriculture is set to release P3,592,200 worth of seeds assistance to rice farmers affected by recent typhoons in the province under its Rice Rehabilitation Plan.

Rice Program Coordinator Joe Casibang of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist disclosed there were 5,700 hectares of rice affected by typhoons Mina, Pedring and Quiel in the towns of Tabuk, Rizal, Pinukpuk, Lubuagan, Pasil, Tanudan and Tinglayan.

Of the total rice area damaged, 5,859 hectares were assessed to have chances of recovery while 287 hectares were declared totally damaged or have no chance of recovery.

Casibang said the series of typhoons affected 8,007 rice farmers, 7,844 of them from the top rice producing towns of Tabuk, Rizal and Pinukpuk.163 come from the towns of Lubuagan, Pasil, Tanudan and Tinglayan.

Casibang said the fund is ready with DA and release could be made any time as soon as the master list of farmer-beneficiaries is submitted.

The municipal listing, he said, is being finalized and could be ready anytime.

He said OPAG has a buffer of 1,600 bags of certified rice seeds, which could be distributed as initial subsidy to municipalities who are able to submit earlier their master list.

The rice seeds subsidy under the typhoon rehabilitation plan follows the usual one bag is to one hectare distribution ratio, Casibang said.

For those assessed with no chance of recovery, they get P1,200 full subsidy per bag for certified rice seeds and P1,200 discount per bag on hybrid rice seeds.

Farmers assessed with chances of recovery, on the other hand, get P600 worth of subsidy per bag for certified rice seeds and P600 discount per bag for hybrid rice seeds.

Casibang explained that the rice seeds subsidy program of DA has been suspended under AgrikulturangPinoy and was converted to other farm interventions but is granted to rice farmers in times of calamities.