CLAVERIA, Misamis Oriental (PIA)– Around 357 rice farmers of Claveria received its financial assistance through the Department of Agriculture (DA)-10 Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA) program.

DA-10 through Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado released a total amount of P1.8 million to the farmer-beneficiaries from the town’s 19 Barangays who were enrolled in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) with landholdings of two hectares and below.

While DA-10 Regional Technical Director (RTD) for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga led the distribution of the Intervention Monitoring Card (IMC) that will serve as identification and cash cards of the farmer-beneficiaries.

Claveria, a landlocked municipality in the province of Misamis Oriental has an estimated area of 420 hectares for rice farmlands. supporting Madriaga during the distribution were DA-10 Provincial Operations Center Chief of Misamis Oriental.

Through the  RCEF-RFFA program, the government aims  to improve rice farmers’ competitiveness and income amidst liberalization of the Philippine rice trade policy that lifted quantitative restrictions on rice imports and replaced it with tariffs, among others.

“Malaking tulong sa aming sakahan ang natangap kong pera para sa abono at binhi (The money I received for fertilizer and seeds was a big help to our farm),” Punong Barangay Arlene P. Adina said.  (DA-10/PIA Misamis Oriental)