THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has inked a P432.78-million deal with the country’s top seed growers to kick-start the government’s seed-distribution program via the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
The DA said it forged a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with five seed growers’ associations and cooperatives for the seed component of the RCEF. The deal accounts for 21.64 percent of the P3-billion allocated for the RCEF seed program.
Under the MOA, the seed growers will supply 25 percent, or about 500,000 bags, of the 2 million bags of inbred rice seeds to be distributed to farmer-beneficiaries of the program.
The DA said the seed program of the RCEF started on October 1, the same day the MOA was signed.
“The 2 million bags of seeds, each containing 20 kilos, will be planted to around 1 million hectares of rice land, and will benefit 1 million rice farmers in the country,” the DA said on Wednesday.
The seed growers’ associations and cooperatives that signed the MOA are: Pangasinan Organic Seed Growers and Nursery Multi-purpose Cooperative; Isabela Seed Growers Multi-purpose Cooperative; Nueva Ecija Seed Grower Multi-purpose Cooperative; South Nueva Ecija Seed Growers Multi-purpose Cooperative; and West Visayas Federation of Multi-Purpose and Seed Producers Cooperative.
The five cooperatives are all accredited by the Bureau of Plant Industry’s National Seed Quality Control Services.
“They have outstanding track records and have been in the business for a
long time. None of them are newly registered and they continue to step up their
game to
produce high-quality seeds that will help farmers to be productive,” the DA
said.
“The 2 million bags of seeds that they will produce will be a tremendous boost to elevate the level of productivity in the countryside,” it added.
The seeds procured by the government from the seed producers will be distributed to rice farmers in 57 provinces identified to have high potential for competitiveness.
The eligible farmer-beneficiaries should be listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture. Each farmer could receive a maximum of four bags of inbred seeds depending on farm size for the October to December planting season, according to the DA.
“This is based on the size of area harvested, yield level, cost of production and share of irrigated area. Also, the municipalities and cities must have an annual area of more than 500 hectare for the dry season 2019-2020,” it said.
The DA said the BPI will “constantly” monitor and oversee the seed growers to ensure that they comply with protocols and guidelines for seed production. Also, the Philippine Rice Research Institute will assist the rice farmers achieve their optimum yield potential.
The creation of the RCEF was mandated by the rice trade liberalization law, which took effect on March 5. The P10-billion fund will bankroll various programs for improving the productivity of planters who will have to compete with cheaper imports.
Image credits: CESAR M. PERANTE