Phase 3 of rice seeds subsidy underway in NegOr
by Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, August 30 (PIA) --- The National Food Authority (NFA) has started distributing certified quality seeds to farmers in Negros Oriental in line with the ongoing implementation of the third phase of the Rapid Seed Supply Financing Program (RASSFiP).
Phase 3 of RASSFIP kicked off in the province on March 16, 2011 and will end on September 15, 2011, said NFA Provincial Manager Dr. Carlos Cortes.
Under the program, NFA buys certified quality seeds from the Negros Oriental Rice and Corn Seeds Growers Association and distributes them to identified farmers in the local government units through the Department of Agriculture (DA) at a subsidized cost.
"We bought 4,000 bags of seeds from the association and we aim to distribute them all to the farmers before the program ends in September," said Rolando Lazalita of NFA here.
The food agency bought the seeds at P1,200 per bag and will be sold to the program’s farmer-beneficiaries at only P600 per bag.
DA has identified the beneficiaries through the municipal and city agriculture offices in the local government units (LGUs) here.
"DA has a masterlist of the names of the farmer-beneficiaries under RASSFIP. Only they can avail of the certified seeds," said Lazalita.
He estimates one bag of seeds to cover one hectare of land.
Provincial NFA Manager Dr. Carlos Cortes assured that the seeds are of top-notch quality. "Before we buy these seeds, they go through a thorough laboratory testing. We only buy those that passed our testing," he said.
RASSFiP is a project under the Rapid Food Production Enhancement Programme (RaFPEP) funded by the national government, International Fund for Agricultural Development and the European Commission (EU).
Said project aims to boost paddy production in rain-fed and irrigated areas across the country. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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P-Noy to witness NFA rice turnover to private school's feeding prog in Bais City
by Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, August 29 (PIA) --- The National Food Authority (NFA) in Dumaguete City is set to turn over 40 bags of NFA rice to La Consolacion College in Bais City, Negros Oriental during the visit of Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III in September.
The turnover of NFA rice is in line with an agreement between NFA and La Consolacion College for the rice agency to provide free NFA rice for the school's feeding program.
"This is part of our non-government organization partnership," said NFA Provincial Manager Dr. Carlos Cortes in an interview.
Pres. Aquino is scheduled to visit Bais City on September 7 where he is expected to lead the blessing and inauguration of the P242-million market complex called “Mercado de Bais” in said city.
NFA is also giving rice allocation good for 30 days for the feeding program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the local government units (LGUs).
"We recently provided 128 bags to the social welfare and development office in Bais City for their supplementary feeding program," said Cortes.
The number of rice bags varies for each LGU depending on the number of their feeding program's beneficiaries. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)