MikeLigalig.com

By Angeline Valencia

      Several Bohol farmers reportedly fell into temptation to mill subsidized certified seeds instead of planting them apparently considering its high recovery level. For every 100 kilos of certified seeds, the minimum yield per hectare is 120 bags at 50 kilos per bag when planted, while the same figure will recover about 80 kilos when milled.

      This helped explain why some unscrupulous farmers chose to convert the certified seeds into well-milled rice instead of planting them to increase production.

      As this developed, a track-down operation is on the way to ferret out cheat of the province’s rice production program.

      The distribution of high-yielding seeds to farmers forms part of the provincial government’s Bohol Seeds Assistance Project (BSAP).

      “The law will come after them [when enough pieces of evidence are gathered],” Provincial Agriculturist Liza Quirog warns in advance those who milled (if reports are true) and those who are planning to mill the certified seeds intended for planting to ensure improved harvest under BSAP of the Rice Accelerated Enhancement Response (RACER) program.

      Quirog said they just await for the memorandum order that will set the go-signal for an investigation on the matter to proceed with “the official procedure in gathering of evidence”.

      As of now, the report remains unofficial that some individuals in the municipalities of Pilar, Sierra-Bullones, and Tubigon milled the certified seeds obtained through BSAP.

      But this early, Quirog said that “the procedures in gathering of evidence will hopefully start soon so we would like to give an advance warning to those who are or may have been planning to do this illegal activity. The law will come after them if evidence is found”.

      Amid the reports, Quirog appealed to farmers to cooperate for the general welfare and abide by the intentions of the program by planting the certified seeds made available to beneficiary farmers through a subsidy from the Department of Agriculture and financial assistance of the provincial government on a roll-over scheme.

      “Dili nato ipagaling. Naa man goy uban nga tungod kay barato- -P440 raman siya. Mahu’g ra og P11 per kilo ang palay nya and the milling recovery ani taas man. Moabot og 80 percent so og naa kay 100 kilos of palay, 80 kilos nga bugas makuha compared to ordinary palay which has 65 percent ra makuha. Nakakuha man tag report and evidence sa interior towns nga dunay mga tawo nga nagpahimulos ani. Wa motunong. Namalit unya gipagaling. (Let’s not mill [the certified seeds]. There are those who are tempted because it is cheaper. At P440 [per bag], it can be pegged at P11 per kilo and its milling recovery is higher at 80 percent. So for 100 kilos of palay, they will get 80 kilos of milled rice compared to ordinary palay which only has 65-percent recovery. We have received reports and evidence that in interior towns, there are individuals who took advantage of the program. They violated the conditions in availing of the benefits of the program. They bought certified seeds and had them milled,” Quirog explained.

      She hinted that it is more sustainable to plant the certified seeds than have them milled. When planted, the farmers will yield 120 sacks of rice, compared to only one sack when milled outright.

      The provincial agriculturist appealed to farmers to refrain from abusing and betraying the intentions of the government to help them improve their yield to achieve sufficient rice supply in the province.

      Through a roll-over scheme, BSAP will shoulder the farmers’ equity of P1,400 per sack of hybrid rice costing P2,900 of which DA subsidizes P1,500.

      The provincial government allocated P13.8 million for this project, including the incentives of experts.

      In the program, each beneficiary farmers’ association or irrigators’ association manages the fund for the farmers’ equity in the purchase of hybrid rice seeds and the recipient member-farmers will pay it three weeks after the harvest. The proceeds will then be used by the associations to buy hybrid seeds for the next planting season.

      Governor Erico Aumentado launched the expanded version of the RACER program on May 5 in partnership with the mayors in Bohol.

      Quirog said the province had already implemented BSAP in four seasons in 2006 and 2007.

      For its expansion this year, the Governor’s Office, the Provincial Board and the Vice-Governor’s Office coordinated in releasing an additional funds to cover 4,000 hectares more of farmlands from the initial target of 200-300 hectares in the past years.

      In continued partnership with DA under the Ginintuang Masaganing Ani program, the additional target this season will cover 2,000 hectares and another 2,000 hectares towards the end of the year starting October.

      The total target for hybrid rice planting this season covers 3,720 hectares, while for certified seeds the target will cover 13,928 hectares.

      Quirog also announced that the program had already distributed 2,404 sacks of hybrid seeds to beneficiaries and 6,218 sacks of certified seeds to be planted at a ratio of one sack per hectare.

      The existing funding covers the implementation for the period, May-October, while the next release of funding will be for November this year to April next year.

      The campaign on planting high quality seeds is based on the fact that it will give an additional 25 sacks to the farmers’ harvest per hectare.

      For hybrid rice, Quirog said, they patronize the mestizo 1, while for certified seeds they prefer RC 18, one of the popular certified seeds that proved resistant to dry season and can grow even in non-irrigated areas.

      Growing certified seeds will give farmers 15 more sacks of rice at 50 kilos per sack, according to Quirog.

      In Bohol, the irrigated areas total to 21,000 hectares, while rainfed areas reached 26,000 hectares.

      Each sack of certified seeds costs P440, cheaper than the hybrid rice which costs P2,600-P2,900 per sack.

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