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DA allots P286-M fertilizer vouchers for C. Luzon rice farmers

By Zorayda Tecson

January 20, 2023, 3:23 pm

<p><strong>DISCOUNT VOUCHER</strong>. A farmer from Pura, Tarlac shows the fertilizer discount voucher that he received from the Department of Agriculture - Region 3 last Tuesday (Jan. 17, 2023). Under the DA's Rice Banner Program, the vouchers will be used by the farmer-beneficiaries to claim fertilizers at accredited merchants. <em>(Photo courtesy of DA Region 3)</em></p>
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DISCOUNT VOUCHER. A farmer from Pura, Tarlac shows the fertilizer discount voucher that he received from the Department of Agriculture - Region 3 last Tuesday (Jan. 17, 2023). Under the DA's Rice Banner Program, the vouchers will be used by the farmer-beneficiaries to claim fertilizers at accredited merchants. (Photo courtesy of DA Region 3)

 

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has allotted some PHP286 million worth of fertilizer discount vouchers for rice farmers in Central Luzon as part of the government’s continuing efforts to help the agricultural sector.

With the total budget allocation, the fertilizer discount voucher program is targeted to cover 187,100 hectares of rice land in the region.

Under the DA’s Rice Banner Program, the farmer-beneficiaries of the fertilizer discount vouchers are those who planted palay in the 2022 wet season as well as those who received inbred and hybrid seeds from the DA.

Likewise, the farmer recipients must be registered under the DA’s Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture.

Agriculturist Billy Roy Aquino, the representative of the DA Regional Rice Banner Program, said on Friday that the release of fertilizer discount vouchers started last July and the last day of claiming is on Jan. 31, this year.

Last Tuesday, the DA distributed fertilizer discount vouchers to rice farmers in Pura, Tarlac.

Municipal agriculturist Leo Transfiguracion said they have already conducted a caravan for the unclaimed vouchers.

“Layunin nito na maibsan ang kanilang gastos sa pagbili ng pataba para sa kanilang sinasaka. Ang government ay tuloy ang paggawa ng paraan para ating mga magsasaka na matulungan sa gastusin sa bukid at pagsasaka (The objective of the program is to help farmers in their expenses in purchasing fertilizers. The government is continuously helping our farmers in their expenses in their rice fields),” Transfiguracion said in an interview.

Meriam Pascual Graneta, a farmer from Barangay Nilasin 1st, Pura town thanked the DA for the assistance.

“Mula pandemic, maraming programa ang DA. Nagpapasalamat po ako sa natanggap naming fertilizer voucher, napakalaking tulong sa amin lalo na ngayon at ako’y isang solo parent. Sana po ay maulit muli dahil laking bawas sa gastos namin sa abono (Since the start of the pandemic, the DA has lot of programs. I am thankful for the fertilizer voucher that I received, this is a big help for us especially now that I am a solo parent. Hopefully, this will happen again because of the big reduction in our expenses for fertilizers,” Graneta said.

Under the program, the vouchers will be used by the farmer-beneficiaries to claim fertilizers at accredited merchants.

The discount voucher has a value equivalent to PHP1,131 per hectare for an inbred, and PHP2,262 per hectare for a hybrid. (PNA)

 

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