Bountiful harvest enable farmers to give back to the feeding program

By Alicia E. Nicart

Wednesday 27th of June 2012

BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar, June 27(PIA) -- The Provincial Rice Production Enhancement Program (PRPEP) of the local government unit of Eastern Samar has so far gained grounds as evidenced by the increased number of cavans of rice that each farmer-beneficiary produced in the recent harvest season.

This was reported by Sally Colico, Agricultural Technician II of the Office of Agricultural Services(OPAS) in an interview.

Colico said that, as agreed, each farmer-beneficiary of the PRPEP is now giving back one sack of rice to the Feeding Program of the municipal government unit where the farmer comes from, except for Mercedes and Guiuan towns which are not really rice-producing areas.

According to Colico, before the planting season, 11 farmers from several municipalities were granted loan by the provincial government which was entrusted to the OPAS. The loan comprised: one sack of certified seeds, two bags of Urea fertilizers, two bags of complete fertilizers, six bags of organic fertilizer (Vermicat), one bottle insecticide, and 200 grams of Racumin. All these were applied in a hectare of rice plantation.

The agreement, she added, included that, if a farmer is able to harvest 89 to 99 bags of rice, he will pay half of the P12, 000 grant but if he gets lower than 88 bags of rice, he will pay the full amount. On the other hand, if he harvests more than a hundred cavans per hectare, he has nothing to pay to OPAS, except for a cavan of polished rice which he has to give to the Feeding Program of his municipal LGU.

Colico added that as observed, the program yielded favorably because more cavans of rice had been given to the municipal feeding programs. In truth, she said, some farmers lamented that they went reluctant when the program was introduced last year that they did not avail of the package of fertilizers and certified seeds.

Today, she said, these farmers are awaiting the same program and grants but it looks like the same could be hardly realized because the budget that they (OPAS) have requested had long been pending; and unless the P10 million proposed budget is realized from the P3 million spent for the latest cropping/harvesting time, they would not know where the rice enhancement production program would end up. Should it push through however, Colico believes that more rice-farmers would be assisted and more production could be expected.(PIA 8, Eastern Samar)