Certified Seeds to Up Rice Yield of Farmers

Lingayen - - - In an effort to boost the rice yield per capita of Pangasinan farmers, Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr., said that the Provincial Government sustains its distribution of certified palay seeds to farmers.

Now on its fifth year, and the only existing project in the country, the distribution of certified palay seeds held last June 6 at the Provincial Nursery in Tebag, Sta. Barbara is under the Accelerated Certified Seed Production and Distribution program, a collaborative effort of the provincial government and the ABONO Party-list in partnership with the Dept. of Agriculture (DA).

There were 2,850 bags of palay seeds distributed to farmer-beneficiaries from the different towns and cities throughout the province’s six congressional districts.

Along with the distribution of certified palay seeds, the provincial government also awarded 10,000 fruit and forest tree seedlings and 51 small ruminants (goats) to identified beneficiaries.

The seed distribution is commended by other agricultural provinces in the country and envisioned to be replicated to ensure stability of production specifically on rice.

The program, which is also intended to bring back the glory days of the province as the rice bowl of the country, aims to assist the farmers via lower cost of seeds at a rate of P800 per 40-kilo bag as compared with the regular market price of seeds per pack at P1,400.

The provincial agriculture office, on the other hand, clarified that the project is not a dole out but an enterprising endeavor so that other farmers will have the chance to avail of the seeds.

Based on agriculture statistics, 62 percent of Pangasinense farmers now used certified seeds.

Each bag of certified seeds, according to assistant provincial agriculturist Nestor Batalla, can cover a hectare of ricefield with a higher percentage of rice yield than ordinary seeds. 

This has caused the province’s rice sufficiency rating to soar at 194 percent making Pangasinan a recipient of the National Rice Achiever Award for the past three years nailing a yield of 1.133 million metric tons which accounts for 65 percent of the total rice produced in Region 1 or the third largest producer of rice in the country.

Meanwhile, Board Member Amado “Pogi” I. Espino III, during the distribution rite, said the program serves beneficial to Pangasinense farmers since they are assured of good crops that will help boost their income during harvest period.

For the past five years of implementation, a total of 37,400 bags of certified seeds were produced under the program alone while a total of 19,333 bags has been distributed at 50 percent price subsidy.

Meanwhile, the 10,000 forest and fruit tree seedlings were awarded to 37 groups comprising of schools, barangay council, and non-government organizations.

A total of 579,665 of seedlings has been distributed by the Espino administration for various groups provincewide since July 2007.

The 51 goats, on the other hand, were given to three groups specifically the Timbuyog ti Mannalon in Natividad town, Goat Raisers’ Association of San Fabian, and Carosucan Farmers’ Association in Sta. Barbara town.

Also present during the distribution ceremony were Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Z. Calimlim, Jr., Board Member Angel Baniqued, Jr., and Dr. Gilbert Rabara, Chief of Pangasinan Research and Experiment Center who represented Director Valentino Perdido, Regional Executive Director of DA-RFO1. (Ruby R. Bernardino)