FREE FERTILIZER. Batac City farmers receive free fertilizers from the local government on Monday (May 8, 2023. The City Agriculture reachED out to different villages in the city for the distribution program, with over 6,400 farmer-beneficiaries. (Photo courtesy of City Government of Batac)
LAOAG CITY – The City Agriculture Office in Batac City, Ilocos Norte has started going aound various rural villages to distribute free fertilizers and hybrid vegetable seeds to more than 6,400 farmers.
Batac City Mayor Albert Chua said Wednesday the distribution started on May 5.
Chua said the beneficiaries were registered in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) for this year’s main cropping season.
“This is a continuing program that aims to empower our local farmers and help enhance food security in the province,” he said.
The amount of fertilizer allotted to each eligible farmer depends on the size of the land they cultivate, as recorded in the RSBSA.
For example, a farmer with over 5,000 square meters will receive a bag of complete fertilizer, a bag of organic fertilizer, and three bags of urea fertilizer.
A farmer with 2,501 to 5,000 square meters of agricultural land will receive a bag of complete fertilizer, a bag of organic fertilizer, and two bags of urea fertilizer.
Those with 2,500 square meters and below of farmland will get a bag each of the three types of fertilizers.
Along with the distribution of free fertilizers, the city government will also be distributing free hybrid vegetable seeds to eligible vegetable growers to increase their income.
Aside from the provision of fertilizers and vegetable seeds, the local government unit of Batac, in cooperation with the provincial government, has previously distributed farm machinery and various farm utilities including gas subsidies to farmers to boost their livelihood.
“We are so lucky in Batac City as we get more than what asked for from the city government,” said Johnny Alonzo, one of the farmer-beneficiaries of the agri inputs.
In his 46 years as a farmer, he said it was only now that this much blessings have been provided in his hometown.
Another farmer, Rizalino Bulong from Baay village, said in an interview Wednesday he was “very thankful” for the fertilizer aid which he said he will use to improve his corn yield.
“Farming is like a game of chance with so many risks. But through these free fertilizers, we can avoid (borrowing money) with high interest,” Bulong said. (PNA)
