AFFORDABLE PRICE. Ninotchka Marie Cabañero, NIA-11 focal person for contract farming, bares Monday (Aug. 12, 2024) in a press briefing in Davao City that the PHP29 per kilo of rice will be available in the first week of November this year. She said December is the possible display of rice since the harvest will be on the third or fourth week of this month (PNA photo by Che Palicte)
DAVAO CITY – The National Irrigation Administration in Davao Region (NIA-11) said Monday the PHP29 per kilo of rice will be available in the first week of November.
In a press briefing here, Ninotchka Marie Cabañero, NIA-11 focal person for contract farming, said December is a “possible display month” for affordable rice since the harvest will be in the third or fourth week of this month.
NIA's PHP29 program involves selling subsidized rice at PHP29 per kilogram (kg) to the vulnerable sector, including members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, senior citizens, solo parents, and persons with disabilities, at nine sites in Metro Manila and one in Bulacan province.
Cabañero said the low-priced rice will be produced by farmers who are beneficiaries of NIA’s Contract Farming Program from various qualified irrigators associations. The farmer-beneficiaries each get PHP50,000 worth of farm inputs and cash from NIA.
“The farmers undergo contract farming with NIA through the irrigator’s associations. They will be given a subsidy of PHP50,000 wherein PHP30,000 is for farm inputs (fertilizer and seeds) while PHP20,000 cash is for labor services,” she said.
With the inputs, the farmers are expected to produce five metric tons (MT) of fresh palay during the third cropping, in which about 50 percent of the milled rice from the harvest will be sold at NIA Kadiwa stores at PHP29.
“The remaining 50 percent (of milled rice) will depend on the farmer's and the market's agreed price,” Cabañero said, adding that contract farming is ongoing and that around 147 regional farmers are participating in the program. (PNA)
