The Department of Agriculture-Northern Mindanao (DA-10) said rice produced locally can be sold in the region at P20 per kilo.

What needs to be done, said DA-10 Director, Jose Apollo Pacamalan, is to control the cost of farm production, to use proper machinery, and to practice new farming technology. 

“Kung ang mag-uuma naa sa 30-mil lang iyang gasto sa usa ka ektarya, ug naa sa 5.5 tons ang average nga yield, that's P20 kilo of rice; that's P6 to P7 per kilo cost of produced rice. Mahimo ba na? Mahimo, kailangan tanan mag-ambayayong,” Pacamalan said.

However, a rice farmer in Misamis Oriental said P20 per kilo is impossible to achieve, especially that farmers are facing many challenges, including the effects of El Niño, irrigation, and the high cost of fertilizers.

“Mas maayo mupalit na lang ko og bugas kaysa akoy magtanom... og magtanom ka, igo raka malugi, halos di ka pa makakaon kay og tag P20, lugi gyud... ingon ani gihapon ang presyo sa abuno,” Estropio Walohan, said.

DA-10 admitted that many things have to be put in place to achieve the P20 per kilo price.

“I think it can be done in three years and that is one of the projects and we call it hashtag rice at 20 in three nga usa sa programa sa Region 10 nga atong suportahan,” Pacamalan said.

The newly-installed regional director of DA-10 said one of the priorities of his leadership is production of high quality and affordable rice.