BONTOC, Mountain Province – Farmers in this capital town recently received various farm inputs from the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera.
The DA-Cordillera delegated to the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist (OMAG) the distribution of free bags of fertilizers, bags of palay seeds, and roll pipes intended for beneficiaries.
OMAG Assistant Department Head Catherine Agcon said 40 farmers received free bags of fertilizers as assistance from the government after they reported damage to their crops during the onslaught of Typhoon Paeng in 2021.
Also, 12 farmers received one roll pipe each as intervention assistance from the DA-Cordillera.
Sixty bags of palay seeds were also distributed to 31 rice farmers enrolled in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).
The farmer-recipients are those who have registered 1,000 square meters and more of their farmland in the RSBSA.
The farmer-beneficiaries are from barangays Gonogon, Samoki, and Balili who received in-bred rice seeds including Rc218 and R18 that are intended for wet season planting.
Agcon added the intervention is part of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) or Rice Fund of the DA aimed to improve farmers’ competitiveness in the face of rice trade policy liberalization.
Bontoc Mayor Jerome Tudlong, Jr. thanked the DA for its continuous assistance to the farmers.
He added with the increasing prices of commodities, seeds, fertilizers, and other farm inputs are no exception and the farm inputs given to the farmers are of great help to them.
“Farming is the main source of living for the people in Bontoc and we are grateful to the national government through the DA-Cordillera under the leadership of Regional Executive Director Cameron P. Odsey for their continuing assistance to the farmers,” the mayor added.
Tudlong said ensuring rice sufficiency at the same time uplifting the lives of the farmers in the locality is one of his flagship programs under economic empowerment.
He assured the recipients the LGU will continuously coordinate with the national government, particularly the DA, for continued support to the marginalized farmers.
He encouraged farmers and farm workers to enroll in the RSBSA for them to avail of future interventions from the government.
Registration in the RSBSA is free and interested farmers may visit the OMAG located at the 4th floor of the Bontoc Municipal Capitol for inquiries. – Alpine L. Killa-Malwagay
