CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Office here will distribute free fertilizers to rice farmers in select areas in Central Luzon this wet cropping season to help boost the country’s rice production.
The distribution will start in September until October this year.
Lowell Rebillaco, DA regional focal person for rice program, said on Wednesday, August 25, that rice farmers will receive vouchers from the fertilizer distribution project of the DA under the Rice Resiliency Project 2.
Rice Resiliency Project is one of the components of the Ahon Lahat, Pagkain Sapat Kontra COVID-19 (ALPAS COVID-19), also known as “Plant, Plant, Plant” program aimed to increase local rice production to combat global trade uncertainties and promote food security amid the pandemic.
Rebillaco said during the last dry cropping season, 98,036 vouchers were generated while 89,044 vouchers were claimed by farmers under the Rice Resiliency Project 2.
This wet cropping season, Rebillaco said there are 53,822 target vouchers for Nueva Ecija amounting to P210.47 million, and 29,523 target vouchers for Tarlac worth P112.26 million.
Rebillaco said farmers in Nueva Ecija and Tarlac were chosen recipients of the free fertilizers because the two areas were included in the top 15 priority hybrid provinces in the country.
Those farmers who planted inbred seeds can avail of two bags of fertilizers per hectare or P2,000 in the form of vouchers, and those who planted hybrids will be given three bags per hectare or P3,000 worth of vouchers.