DA-RFO 10 Regional Technical Director Carmelita T. Bajarla, MBA delivered her welcome address before the 200 participants during the opening of the Seminar- Workshop on Rice Value Chain and Comparative Efficiency in the Philippines.
RICE STAKEHOLDERS STRATEGIZE FOR SCIENCE-BASED POLICIES
Cagayan de Oro – Rice stakeholders from Visayas and Mindanao attended the two-day Seminar Workshop on Rice Value Chain and Comparative Efficiency in the Philippines, held in the city.
The purpose of the seminar-workshop is to address the major concerns of the rice industry in the country and address the gaps of knowledge generation and application of these knowledge, and to institutionalize the science-based policies towards the development of the rice industry.
“We are optimistic that we can deliver better tasks and outputs for the enhanced implementation of DA’s programs and projects, not only in our region but for the whole country, as well, Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office 10 Regional Technical Director Carmelita T. Bajarla, MBA said before the 200 participants, comprising of rice stakeholders from the different regions of Visayas and Mindanao.
The government will continue to support the agriculture sector to achieve notable economic growth because feeding a growing population is always a major challenge,“ she further said.
At the end of the workshop, the participants were able to strategize and come up with their science-based outputs and these will be consolidated and analyzed by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), the lead implementing agency.
Attendees are rice focal persons, stakeholders, regional federation presidents of Small Water Impounding System Associations (SWISAs) and irrigator’s associations, millers and traders.
This is also attended by the Agricultural Training Institute, National Irrigation Administration, National Food Authority, Agricultural Credit Policy Council, DA-Central Office, representatives from the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division, PhilRice and agri-extension workers from the provincial/city/municipal local government units. # (SVA)