Farmers in Region 12 start wet season palay planting

KORONADAL CITY, Philippines - Nearly 300,000 metric tons of palay will be harvested in Central Mindanao after the May-October wet planting season, a ranking regional Agriculture official said Thursday as he assured stable supply of the staple in the area. Abusama M. Alid, Department of Agriculture director for Central Mindanao, said the government will also extend subsidies to palay farmers this cropping season. "Palay farmlands in our region are ready for planting. The target for the wet season from May to October is 82,912 hectares," said Mr. Alid, who initiated a meeting with palay stakeholders. Average palay yield per hectare in the region stands at 3.6 metric tons, he added. Mr. Alid said the region has a stock of 71,912 bags of certified seeds and 11,000 bags of hybrid seeds available for the planting season. Rice farmers will also benefit from the "Palay Seed Subsidy Program" implemented by the Agriculture department for the May-October planting season, he said. Under the program, the farmers will pay only P440 per 40-kilogram bag of certified seeds, while the Agriculture department will shoulder the remaining cost of P760/bag to cover the total of P1,200/bag. For good quality seeds, which cost P880 per 40-kilogram bag, the agency will subsidize half the price. For hybrid seeds, the Department of Agriculture will shoulder P1,500 per hectare. Mr. Alid said the program aims to help farmers increase palay production by using high-yielding hybrid seeds. As of last April 30, the region’s total stock of rice stood at 202,091 metric tons and estimated to last up to 175 days, data provided by the regional agriculture office said. "The regional daily consumption of Central Mindanao averaged 1,155.25 metric tons and with our buffer stock, it will last for more than five months," he said.