SIQUIJOR, Siquijor, August 19 (PIA) -- The Department of Agriculture 7 (DA) through the Provincial Agricultural Technology Coordinating Office (PATCO) Siquijor recently turned over 134 bags of hybrid rice seeds to rice farmers.
The intervention is under the Quick Response Fund (QRF) allocated for rice farmers affected by Typhoon Odette late last year, said the DA-PATCO in a press release.
The report said the variety of rice seeds distributed were based on farmers’ preferencee, of which farmers from the municipality of Larena received 25 bags of SL-20H variety, Siquijor with 30 bags of Mestiso 20, San Juan with 20 bags of Habilis Plus, Lazi with 28 bags of LongPing 534, five bags of Mestiso 20, and eight bags of SL-20H.
Farmers from Maria received 13 bags of Habilis Plus and Enrique Villanueva with five bags of LongPing 534.
Based on the damage assessment report from the province of Siquijor, 125 rice farmers reported damage to crops due to flooding during the onslaught of Typhoon Odette, of which some are in vegetative state.
A total of 18.08 hectares were reported to be partially damaged with a total loss of P843,534, the report said.
A total of 100 bags of hybrid rice seeds were also distributed to eight farmer associations engaged in hybrid rice farming, as support to the implementation of Community Hybrid Rice Farming (CHRF).
CHRF is under the Farm and Fisheries Clustering and Consolidation program of the Department of Agriculture which seeks to advance the interest and condition of Filipino small rice farmers by encouraging them to adopt the strategy of clustering and consolidation of their agribusiness activities. (RAC/PIA7 with reports from Mary Jane Banglos)
