Sta. Marcela, Apayao - A total of 1,400 rice farmers from the 13 barangays in the municipality benefited from Rice seeds and Fertilizers subsidies by the Department of Agriculture (DA) under its National Rice Program (NRP) on July 13, 2023.
The help, done in coordination with DA - Regional Field Office, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist and Municipal Agriculture Office, was welcomed by the farmers of town saying, it shall lessen the burden of having to spend much on farm inputs.
The rice seeds and fertilizers subsidies will lessen their expenses and will ensure a better yield.
Mayor Evelyn Martinez and her officials also mentioned their gratitude to the agriculture department and its counterparts in the region and in Apayao province for their hard work in extending support to the farmers in her town.
“Agyaman kami kadagitoy nga tulong aggapu ti gobyerno tayo. Our farmers need this help especially that Sta. Marcela is a farming community,” the Mayor said.
The program entitles farmers registered in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) who are also members of DA - accredited rice cooperatives and associations, of quality inbred and hybrid seeds as well as fertilizers support for this 2023 wet cropping season.
Said program seeks to increase farm productivity and boost rice farmers' income by reducing some of their expenses on the farm.
In an interview, Municipal Agriculturist Franklin C. Abad said that around P9 million was allocated for the program for this 2023 wet season alone. The aid is estimated to cover hundreds of hectares of rice fields collectively.
However, he stressed that "there's a possibility of a lower allocation for the next cropping season of this year according to the Regional Office."
"Due to the limited National Tax Allotment (NATA) that was given, the LGU could not supply enough agricultural demands hence we can only contribute a minimal counterpart for the agricultural needs," Martinez said.
"Nevertheless I hope for the continuous support of the DA RFO CAR to the local rice farmers in our municipality," she added.
Meantime, DA reiterates its call for rice farmers in the said town and other parts of the province to register their farmlands in the RSBSA regardless of size, so they can benefit from the programs of the government.
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