Kalinga farmers’ income boosted

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Dept. of Agriculture has started a new program to boost farmers’ income in Kalinga.

The DA is now hastening implementation of Corporate Rice Farming Program aligned with Rice Subsidy program of the Dept. of Social Welfare and Development to this end.

CRFP is market matching on rice to improve efficiency in rice production, processing, and marketing.

The CRFP will be piloted here where 18 kilos of rice will be given to around 4,500 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary households per month from July to December.

Grace Cenas, director of DA special technical assistance group for operations, said implementation of the project will decrease production cost and increase profit.

The CFRP aims to improve efficiency in rice production and harvesting thru a proven mechanized production and harvesting protocol and other cost-reducing measures. This will increase welfare gains of rice producers thru a secured marketing arrangement; ensure regular supply of rice to institutional buyers.

The CFRP is a partnership between a farm service provider and a group of local farmers to ensure supply of freshly milled and affordable rice in the community.

In this set up, the local farming community produces milled rice to address the requirements of its citizens (e.g. 4Ps beneficiaries, the poorest of the poor, senior citizens, special groups) through contract growing.

In support to the project, the DA and its operating units shall provide technical services to the participants that will increase palay yield with the use of hybrid seeds and adoption of latest rice production technologies.

Dr. Danilo P. Daguio, DA’s regional technical director for operations said, ‘CRFP will make rice available and affordable, especially to the marginalized sectors of society, without sacrificing the benefits due to the rice farmers.’ -- JMD