PALAY PROCUREMENT. Provincial Agriculture Chief Nicolasito Calawag is asking PHP2 million from the Task Force El Niño for the purchase of the palay seeds to be given as assistance to farmers affected by the phenomenon. Palay seeds will be planted this June for first cropping. (PNA Photo by Annabel J. Petinglay)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique -- The provincial government will purchase palay seeds to be given to farmers suffering from the impact of the El Niño phenomenon.
Nicolasito Calawag, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) chief, said the provincial government will purchase palay seeds because many farmers affected by the dry spell were not able to produce enough seeds for their next cropping season.
“We will be outsourcing palay seeds,” he said in an interview on Tuesday. Calawag has requested the Task Force El Niño, which he also chairs, to allocate PHP2 million for the palay seeds.
Antique province was placed under a state of calamity on June 13 due to the adverse effect of the El Niño phenomenon.
“I will be asking for a PHP2 million allocation to buy palay seeds to be given to the farmers,” he said.
Farmer Melvin Jamandron of Bongbongan II, Sibalom town, a member of the farmers’ group Paghugpong sang mga Mangunguma sa Panay and Guimaras (Pamanggas), said in a previous interview that they already finished land preparation for the first cropping but were faced with problems on where to get palay seeds for planting.
“I am still having a problem where to get my seeds although I have already prepared my farmland for planting,” Jamandron said.
Calawag said he will coordinate with the Department of Agriculture (DA) on where to purchase palay seeds. He added that bidding will be conducted for the supply of seeds.
“A sack of palay seeds costs PHP1,600 right now,” he said. “One farmer will be given a sack of seeds for each hectare of farmland he is tilling.”
He added that farmers who will be given seeds are those identified as affected by the Municipal Agriculture Officers in the 18 towns of the province. (PNA)
