Farmers in Tulunan, North Cotabato are reaping the benefits of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program, which has improved the town’s practice of certified inbred seed leading to increased yield.
Farmer Roel P. Lapating attested to the positive changes brought about by the RCEF Seed Program.
“Because of the RCEF certified inbred seeds, our harvest has soared to 4.4-6t/ha. As long as we have access to resources for certified inbred seeds, I will not revert to our old practice of using low quality seeds,” he said.
The program has also eased the financial burden on farmers including Marina L. Panes.
“We were able to save money because they provide fertilizer and seeds. I now use the funds I originally set aside for seed purchase as part of the school allowance,” she said.
The RCEF Seed Program has also implemented the Binhi e-padala system in the municipality, significantly reducing waiting times for farmers. The system simplifies the manual seed distribution process, benefiting farmers by saving time.
“Farmers usually experienced waiting time of 10-15 minutes. However, with the Binhi e-padala system, some farmers reported receiving their certified inbred seeds in just 3-5 minutes,” said April Joy A. Sumido-Lines, municipal agriculturist.
The RCEF Seed Program is a component of Republic Act 11203 or Rice Tariffication Law, which allots P10 billion funds every year for the rice farmers from the rice tariff earnings of the country. A six-year government initiative to help farmers compete in the international rice market, the local government units and lawmakers assist in its implementation.
