The Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas has allotted P18 million this year for major interventions to increase the rice sufficiency level in Negros Oriental, from 61 percent this year to 79 percent in 2010.

This was disclosed by Angel Enriquez, regional technical director for operations of the Department of Agriculture in Region 7, during a meeting of the League of Municipalities in Negros Oriental presided by Jimalalud Mayor Reynaldo Tuanda, yesterday.

Enriquez said these interventions include subsidy on the planting of hybrid rice, certified seeds, and location specific interventions or plant only in areas where it is best suited, and restoration of irrigation sites, with provision of flatbed dryers and post harvest facilities to minimize losses from the planting to the harvesting stages.

The mayor’s league meeting was also attended by Gov. Emilio Macias II, who expressed disappointment over the apportionment of funds intended for the construction of farm to market roads.

“One thing good about Negros Oriental is you have a higher yield than Bohol with less hectares planted to rice,” Enriquez told the mayors and the governor.

She said local government units which have at least 100 hectares of compact area of irrigated rice lands will be provided with one flatbed dryer by the Department of Agriculture.

Regional rice coordinator and chief of the crops division Jorge Paculba, said the department hopes to achieve a 65 percent rice sufficiency level this year, 72 percent in 2009 and 79 percent by the year 2010, and they are seeking the help and cooperation of local chief executives.

Negros Oriental has 15,059 hectares planted to rice, based on consolidated records of the National Irrigation Administration, the DA, the Bureau of Agricultural  Statistics, and the respective LGUs.

The first district has a total of 6,680 hectares planted to rice, second district – 3,159 hectares, and the third district with more than 2,400 hectares.

To achieve the desired rice sufficiency level, the regional agriculture office is urging Negros Oriental rice farmers to plant 1,709 hectares to hybred rice, 11,176 hectares with certified seeds, and 1,163 hectares with ordinary seeds or a total of 14,548 hectares.

The scheme is for rice farmers to pay only P440 of the P1,200 per bag of certified seeds, the remaining P760 will be shouldered by the Department of Agriculture, Paculba said.

For hybrid seeds of P2,900 per bag,  the farmer will pay only P1,400 and the rest will be shouldered by the government through the DA.

The first district is allotted with P8.724 million,  second district – P3.232 million, and P6.268 million rice subsidy for the third district.*JG

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