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CEBU
CITY—The government is eyeing 98-percent national rice
sufficiency by 2010 through a P43.7-billion program for
the agriculture sector; and P4.15 billion has already
been released to rehabilitate irrigation facilities and
build new ones to expand services to more farmlands.
This was
according to Presidential Management Staff chief Serge
Remonde, who also told the Visayas Regional Development
Council here that for the first time in decades, rice
production is outpacing population growth.
He said
that between 2001 and 2007, rice production hit 4
percent compared with the population growth of 2.04
percent. “It is only in this administration that our
rice production is finally catching up with the
population.”
The
council adopted at its regular meeting resolutions
committing to give counterpart funds to the Department
of Agriculture fertilizer program, but only if the money
is spent on organic fertilizer.
“The
suppliers are already killing the land and they are also
making a killing with the prices [of fertilizer],” said
the council chairman, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu.
Gov.
Emilio Macias II of Negros Oriental said they are
teaching farmers in his province to create their own
organic fertilizer. “We are looking at the long-term
benefits for our people.”
Remonde
said the P4.15 billion released translates into 89,796
metric tons of additional rice output, but admitted that
Central Visayas would not receive much from the fund
because the region is not known for food production.
“Central Visayas gets the lion share in tourism, while
Northern Luzon gets priority for agriculture.”
He said,
however, that the region can participate in the
P1.1-billion allocation for scholarships for students
planning to take up agricultural courses in college.
Over 69,234 students would benefit from the program.
An
amount of P3 billion under the same program is planned
for grants in research and development and masteral
studies.
Remonde
said the Land Bank of the Philippines has set aside P15
billion for loans to the agricultural sector, mostly for
rice farmers, while P2.5 billion had been set aside to
buy more than 700 rice driers to be given to 49
provinces.
Over
5,000 kilometers of farm-to-market roads had also been
rehabilitated with some P5 billion, with a further P15
billion set aside for the same purpose for 2009 up to
2010.
“We are
also opening rice importation to private investors to
free up government revenues. So we are inviting Cebuano
businessmen to participate in this opportunity,” said
Remonde. |
