The Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program is reaching 80,000 more farmers in Visayas with the inclusion of four new provinces in the program this wet season.
According to RCEF Coordinator Rojen F. Austria, the program’s new partners include the provinces of Iloilo, Guimaras, Cebu, and Bohol, which incorporation resulted in an increase of certified inbred rice seeds allocation from 340,634 to 474,792 for the Western and Central Visayas.
Meanwhile, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental will receive 223,156 bags, while Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor will receive 25,841 bags.
Around 250,000 farmers are expected to benefit from the program this 2023 wet season.
“Other than using the certified inbred seeds, our monitoring and evaluation results show that farmers have also reduced their usual seeding rate from 120 to 80kg/ha. We are hoping that this will be further reduced with the use of farm machinery,” Austria said.
Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute in Negros is currently engaging local government units and seed growers cooperatives and associations to ensure the proper and prompt delivery of certified seeds in time for the farmers’ planting schedule.
The RCEF Seed Program is a component of Republic Act 11203 or Rice Tariffication Law, which allocates P3 billion fund every year for seed requirements of rice farmers to help them produce high-quality rice. LGUs, lawmakers and partners assist in its implementation.
