The Philippines
April 21, 2020
A farmer from Agusan del Norte happily received high-quality seeds through the continuous seed distribution under RCEF.
Despite the challenges caused by global COVID-19 pandemic, DA- Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) continues to serve the Filipino rice farmers by providing easy access to high-quality seeds in their communities through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF)-Seed Program.
“We have to ensure that the supply of rice, being our staple food, is sufficient for every Filipino family,” said Dr. Flordeliza Bordey, PhilRice Deputy Executive Director.
As of April 12, 10,310 bags of certified seeds were delivered to 14 city and municipal local government units (LGUs), and are soon ready for distribution to farmers through a special protocol. PhilRice started delivering seeds to early-planting cities and municipalities across the country for 2020 wet season since March 16.
Rice farmers in North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Antique, Iloilo, Leyte, Pampanga, Bataan, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Zamboanga del Sur are expected to receive their high-quality seeds until end of the month. Schedule of seed deliveries is based on planting calendar of the rice areas.
Bordey encouraged farmer-recipients to coordinate with their LGUs through the city/municipal agriculture office for the process and final schedule.
In claiming the provision from RCEF program, farmers are required to wear face mask, monitor body temperature, use hand sanitizers, and practice physical distancing to ensure the health and safety of the farmers and involved staff and stakeholders.
DA-PhilRice, together with its partners from the DA-Regional Field Offices, and LGUs target to distribute 2.5 million bags of certified inbred seeds (at 20kg/bag) to over 1.2 million farmers this season.
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