MikeLigalig.com

By June Blanco
Capitol Writer

  Aside from topping rice production in Central Visayas, Bohol also topped in rice production growth countrywide.

  Dr. Frisco Malabanan, national program director of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) Rice Program presented these and other statistics to the participants of the recent Department of Agriculture’s (DA) F.I.E.L.D.S. InfoCaravan/InfoKlinik and launching of the Bohol Rice Sufficiency Plan for 2008-2010 held at the Bohol Cultural Center. FIELDS stands for fertilizer; irrigation; extension, education and training; loans; driers and other post-harvest facilities; and seeds.

  Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado expressed elation over the announcement. He said it is a strong indication that the province’s rice sufficiency plan – the Rice Accelerated Enhancement Response (Racer) included – is attainable.

  He said in spite of the province’s existing multi-billion peso irrigation facilities, Bohol is only 82.5 percent rice self-sufficient. To increase production, he caused the allocation in this year’s budget of P16 million for the rice hybridization and Plant-Now-Pay-Later (PNPL) program and another P15 million for the Fertilize-Now-Pay-Later (FNPL) program. – with instructions to release the funds the soonest possible time for the immediate implementation of these Racer components in time for this cropping season and beat the self-imposed deadline.

  The province, in tandem with DA launched Project Racer in response to the global rice crisis.

  Farmers, irrigator associations, municipal agricultural officers, agricultural technologists, farm technicians and others in the farming sector gathered for the event.

  Aumentado encouraged them to apply FIELDS and avail of Project Racer in order to increase their production.

  “With President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo behind us and Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap strongly supporting us, I am confident that we can attain rice self-sufficiency as early as the first cropping season of 2009,” he said.

  “The self-imposed deadline is heavy enough, but with everyone united and collaborating – which is the call of the hour in these trying times – I am confident that we can achieve the target in order to free us from the bondage of poverty and hunger,” he added.

  Figures

  Quoting Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) figures, Malabanan had said Bohol’s 163,441 metric tons (mt) palay production in 2007 out of Central Visayas’ total of 251,802 mt pulled the figures up for Region 7. Bohol needs much room for improvement in the yield area – only 2.32 mt/hectare (ha.), compared to Cebu’s 2.98; Negros Oriental’s 3.34 and Siquijor’s 3.35 but it topped in hectarage planted to rice at 70,541 compared to Cebu’s 4,957; Negros Oriental’s 21,315 and Siquijor’s 694.

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