SAN JOSE, Occidental Mindoro (PIA) -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) has distributed fertilizer discount vouchers (FDV) to 13,432 farmers in Occidental Mindoro to cut production costs for the second cropping season.

The FDV is a project under the National Rice Program, which aims to boost farmers’ production by providing one-time discount vouchers to farmers to acquire the necessary volume of fertilizer needed to reach maximum yield as explained in DA Memorandum Order no. 65, series of 2022.

Farmers must be registered with the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) and the Fisherfolk Registry System (FFRS) to become eligible for the intervention, Marisse A. Bitanga of DA Agricultural Program Coordinating Office (APCO) Occidental Mindoro explained.

Moreover, the cultivated land should be within the clustered area verified by their respective municipal agriculture office. The amount of the voucher will be computed based on the farmer’s land area, with one hectare amounting to P4,000.

Beneficiaries can use the voucher to avail of inorganic fertilizers, such as urea, from DA-accredited merchants, dealers, and distributors in their municipality.

Elena Fuentes, a farmer from the municipality of Magsaysay, shared that the FDV helped cut their production expenses to 10 percent. She said that on average, they spend around P35,000 for agricultural inputs for hybrid rice per hectare.

“Malaking tulong po [ang FDV] sa amin, kagaya po niyan na wala kang cash na pambili at kailangang kailangan na ang abono, may pambili kami. Pagkakuha nga namin ng voucher, [ginamit] namin agad,

[The FDV is a great help for us, especially at times when we do not have cash available to purchase fertilizers. We immediately used the vouchers we received],” Fuentes added. 

The DA, in partnership with the local government units, continues to support farmers by providing agricultural inputs such as FDV to boost productivity towards food security. (DSG/PIA MIMAROPA – Occidental Mindoro)