Agri Dept. gives top rice producers P100M

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday awarded various local government units, irrigators’ associations (IAs) and agricultural extension workers (AEWs) P100 million under the 2011 Agri-Pinoy Rice Achievers’ Awards.   “[The winners] will receive more than P100-million worth of prizes in the form of agricultural projects and cash incentives,” Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said in a statement.   The awards encourage local government participation in achieving the department’s 2013 rice sufficiency goal, the secretary noted.   “The contest, launched last year, aims to recognize and encourage the full support and participation of local government units, IAs, and AEWs in the Aquino government’s goal to attain rice sufficiency by 2013, and surplus in succeeding years,” he said.   In the awards — also called the Parangal sa mga Bosing ng Palayan awards — the Agriculture Department cited the top rice-producing provinces Ilocos Norte, Mindoro Oriental, Mindoro Occidental, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Southern Leyte, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Agusan del Sur, and Surigao del Sur.   Each provincial LGU received P4 million worth of agricultural projects.   The top 50 cities and municipalities received P1 million worth of agricultural projects, and the winners were 12 cities and municipalities from Region 2, nine from Region 3, seven from Region 6, six from Region 7, three each from regions 4-B, 8, and 11,  two each from regions 10 and 13, and one each from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and regions 1 and 4-A.   The winners were chosen based on “rice production volume and area harvested from 2008 to 2011, total funds allocated for rice production, number of LGU personnel assigned to rice production and other related activities, and total farmer-beneficiaries.”   The IAs received P1 million worth of farm projects each. The winners were Dujali Isidro Talisay Casay, Davao Del Norte; MTG PLIVRISCAF and Barangay Siete, in Munoz, Nueva Ecija; Salbar of La Carlota City, Negros Occidental; Napal-Conel Road of General Santos City; Badagoy in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur; Basak-Pangutosan CARP, Nabunturan, Compostela Valley; and Boan Bida in Rosario, Agusan del Sur.   Also, each of the 157 outstanding AEWs from various parts of the country received a P20,000 cash incentive. — Rouchelle Dinglasan/VS, GMA News