BUTUAN CITY, Philippines- The Department of Agriculture’s (DA’s) commitment to ensuring available and affordable food for all, and help the farmers attain a decent income is intensified through various interventions and programs implemented on the ground.
The creation of the Corporate Rice Farming Program (CRFP) aims to provide a mechanism to support the implementation of special programs such as the rice subsidy scheme of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) particularly the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps.)
In Caraga Region, DA has forged a partnership with the Farm Service Providers (FSP) in the region such as the Sto. Niño Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SNMPC) from Butuan City and Agusanon Para sa Bag-ong Pilipino Inc. (AGUS PINOY) Cooperative from San Francisco, Agusan del Sur to address the needed requirement of the program.
“In the region, SNMPC and AGUS PINOY committed to providing rice supply to selected 4Ps program areas in the second semester of 2017 for Butuan City and the Province of Agusan del Sur as pilot areas for CRFP,” said Rebecca R. Atega, Chief of the DA Caraga – Field Operations Division.
SNMPC will serve 2,095 4Ps household beneficiaries in Butuan City while AGUS PINOY committed to served 15,219 beneficiaries for the Province of Agusan del Sur. Each household will receive 18 kgs of rice good for six months. With that, a total of 17,314 beneficiaries will be catered by CRFP.
“We did not hesitate to help the government’s initiative to provide available and affordable food for all because this is also our time to pay back from the assistance we have also received from the government. It is our honor to be a partner for this good endeavor,” explained Marilyn Aranas, Chairperson of SNMPC.
With this partnership, DA will provide each FSP the appropriate farm inputs, technologies, and services to increase their farm productivity and ensure an adequate supply of rice for the targeted number of beneficiaries. The Land Bank of the Philippines will also establish a lending window for the FSP as they participate in the program.
“CRFP could provide additional income to local farm service providers and farmers. This promotes local food autonomy. In the light of the lifting of quantitative restrictions on rice by June 30, 2017, this program is a timely intervention to provide marketing assistance to the rice farmers,” said Director Leo P. Cañeda, a member of the Secretary’s Technical Advisory Group (STAG).
With President Duterte’s directive to the DSWD to provide rice subsidy to the 4Ps beneficiaries, the DA aims to contribute to its successful implementation by ensuring continuous rice supply through CRFP.
Corporate rice farming to address needed rice supply in Ph
