DA honors rice producers

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture honored last Friday, Feb. 10, the country’s top rice-producing provinces, cities, towns, irrigators’ associations (IAs), and outstanding agricultural extension workers (AEWs) in the first-ever 2011 Agri-Pinoy Rice Achievers’ Awards or ‘Parangal sa mga Bosing ng Palayan,’ at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), in Pasay City.

 Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said the winners are composed of 10 provinces, 50 cities and municipalities, 8 IAs and 157 AEWs.

They received more than P100 million worth of prizes in the form of agricultural projects and cash incentives. 

The top 10 provinces each received P4 million worth of agricultural projects, while the top 50 cities and municipalities and 8 IAs each received P1 million worth of agricultural projects. The 157 AEWs received P20,000 each as cash incentive. 

Alcala said the contest, launched last year, aims to recognize and encourage the full support and participation of local government units (LGUs), IAs, and AEWs in the Aquino government’s goal to attain rice sufficiency by 2013, and surplus in succeeding years.

The rice achievers’ awards is part of a campaign to promote the Aquino government’s flagship Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP). 

The 10 winning provinces are: Ilocos Norte, Mindoro Oriental, Mindoro Occidental, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Southern Leyte, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Agusan del Sur, and Surigao del Sur.

 They were judged based on their incremental rice production volume and area harvested from 2008 to 2011, total funds allocated for rice production, number of LGU personnel deployed to rice production and other related activities, and total farmer-beneficiaries, among other parameters.

A similar set of criteria was used to determine the top 50 cities and municipalities. The winners include 12 from Region 2; nine from Region 3; seven from Region 6; six from Region 7; three each from regions 4B, 8, and 11; two each from regions 10 and 13, and one each from CAR and regions 1 and 4A.

The eight outstanding IAs include the: Dujali Isidro Talisay Casay, Davao Del Norte; MTG PLIVRISCAF and Barangay Siete, both in Muñoz, 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. 

Of the best 157 agricultural extension workers on rice, 32 are from Region 6; 29 from Region 3; 19 from Region 2; 18 from Region 7; 16 from Region 4B; 14 from CAR; 10 from Region 7; nine from Region 11; six from Region 10; two from Region 13 and one each from Regions 1 (Pangasinan) and 4A (Quezon).