Kalinga gets 2000 bags rice seeds as typhoon aid

By Larry T. Lopez

TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- Kalinga province was allotted more than 2,000 bags of certified rice seeds   ready for distribution to farmers in the area.

Joe Casibang, rice program coordinator from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, reported the stock is under the Typhoon Rehabilitation Program of the Department of Agriculture for rice farmers affected by typhoons ‘Ineng’ and ‘Lando’.

Under the program, farmers with totally damaged rice farms will get free one bag while those whose farms were partially damaged get free half of a bag, Casibang said. Each bag costs P1, 360.

Distribution is based on the master list of typhoon affected farmers reported by municipal agriculture officers.

Citing the present problem of most farmers, here, who were not able to plant in the second cropping due to water cut-off arising from the on-going rehabilitation of the irrigation facility, Casibang said the rice seeds subsidy is timely for the first cropping in January-May next year.

Aside from rice seeds, DA will also distribute other farming assistance to affected farmers that include mechanized water pump sets and accessories, vegetable seeds, corn seeds and livestock.

The region-wide assistance is being provided by DA to help Cordillera farmers recover from heavy losses caused by the two recent strong typhoons.