15,000 farmers get free rice seeds in Tabuk

Larry T. Lopez

TABUK CITY, Kalinga Jan 30 (PIA) -- Fifteen thousand rice farmers here got free certified rice seeds under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) program of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Michelle Lumas-i of the Office for City Agricultural Services (OCAS) reported beneficiaries get two  bags per hectare under the program.

About 7,000 bags of certified inbred rice seeds have been distributed since Decemberlast year, and distribution is completed this month.

Under the program, farmer-beneficiaries must be registered in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), Lumas-I informed.

To improve the country’s rice production, the government grants farming intervention to farmers under the RCEF.

Other components of the program include provision of farm machinery and equipment, credit assistance and technical extension services.

The city-LGU under its local agriculture program provides other farming inputs and technical assistance to the sector. (LL—PIA CAR, Kalinga)