Gov. Isidro Zayco yesterday said supplemental budgets of Negros Occidental this year will be focused on food production, in order to make the province self sufficient, especially  in rice.

Negros Occidental is currently ranked number 11 among the top rice producing provinces of the country, but its produce is short of about 10 percent of the needs of the province.

Zayco said on Wednesday that he will ask the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to approve a P30 million budget for communal irrigation and P10 million to boost food productivity in the province.

Provincial Agriculturist Igmedio Tabianan has said that the province produces 435,000 metric tons of rice a year, or 90 percent of the needs of Negros Occidental.

The governor said the provincial government will also allocate more funds to the Provincial Veterinarian’s Office to boost the livestock and dairy production of Negros Occidental.

A joint church-provincial government committee created to address the rising prices of rice is set to meet at the Capitol in Bacolod City today.

Zayco said that is some mayors want to sell National Food Authority rice to their constituents, they should go to the agency to make arrangements for allocations.

NFA rice now sells at P18.25 a kilo and that is much lower than the price of commercial rice.*CPG

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