Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar requested governors and district representatives of the Davao region to partner with the Department of Agriculture (DA) to help local rice farmers improve productivity and increase income.

During a dialogue with the elected officials of Region XI held on September 15, 2019, Dar urged the local government leaders to avail of loans and credit assistance from financial institutions including the Land Bank of the Philippines to aid them in financing the palay buying program for their local rice farmers.

“Tulong-tulong po tayong lahat sa pag-resolve sa problema ng ating mga magsasaka,” he said.

“I have instructed the National Food Authority (NFA) to increase by P2 the buying price of palay,” the Secretary added.

Under Dar’s directives, the NFA is now buying dry palay at P19 per kilo. The agri chief also said that NFA will also buy wet palay for a lower price of P15-16 per kilo.

NFA policies state that an individual farmer may initially deliver to as many as 200 bags without a passbook. This is on the assumption that he has a two-hectare land planted with rice.

NFA, however, cleared, that if the same person sells rice for the second time, he will be required to have a passbook and a certificate from the Municipal Agriculture Office proving that he is a genuine rice farmer.

Aside from rice, Dar also requested the local government officials to campaign for cleanliness to maintain a healthy swine industry.

“You are at the frontline, and so may I request you through your agricultural offices to maintain safety standards and measures to manage, control and contain any form of swine disease,” he stressed.

“Please inform your constituents not to engage in swill feeding, as this may pose a health risk to the swine sector which is a P260 billion industry,” Dar said.

He added that the DA, together with its concerned agencies including the Bureau of Animal Industry and the National Meat Inspection Service, has been vigilantly laying down measures to address the issues of swine deaths.

“Ang magandang balita, the hog raisers have committed to maintain the price of pork and pork-products, and that there is enough supply until the Holiday Season,” Dar said. ### (Adora Rodriguez, DA-AFID)