Aiming to mechanize the rice industry in the region, the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PhilMech) – Region 10, with its provincial focal persons continue to validate the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) recipients of the 18 towns in Bukidnon.

Rice mechanization is one of the components of RCEF under the RA No. 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).

The RTL provides for the creation of the RCEF that would be sourcing its funds from rice tariff collections, with Php10 billion allocated annually for a period of six years starting 2019.

Of the Php10 billion budget, DA-PhilMech heading the mechanization component of RCEF is allocated Php5 billion for the provision of farm machineries and equipment (tillers, tractors, seeders, threshers, rice planters, harvesters) to qualified farmer organizations.

To avail this grant-in-kind machineries, farmer organizations should have at least 50 hectares of irrigated rice farmlands.

The DA-PhilMech provincial focal persons with the municipal agriculturists will verify the stability of the farmers organization, needs of the requested farm machinery, and inspect their respective farm areas.# (EMB)

Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 OIC- Regional Executive Director, Carlene C. Collado successfully defended DA-10’s proposed Php10.9 billion budget for CY 2021 during the Regional Development Council -X Advisory Committee Meeting chaired by Governor Philip T. Tan of Misamis Occidental on March 6, 2020, here in Cagayan de Oro City.

After satisfactorily passing scrutiny from the regional advisory committee, the proposed budget will be endorsed to the National Economic Development Council for further assessment and approval.

The budget will be utilized to fund the agency’s priority programs and projects in the five provinces and two highly urbanized cities in Northern Mindanao – Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, Camiguin, Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City.# (ATalib)

Maramag, Bukidnon, March 5 – Thirty farmers from the different provinces in Northern Mindanao completed the Inbred Rice Seed Production and Certification for Seed Growers Training course today, in this town.

Spearheaded by the DA-Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), aspiring seed growers learned on the cultural management practices relative to the growth stages of the rice plant, and the policies and guidelines on seed certification for inbred rice seed production.

To further enhance their capacity, the participants also went through field practicum on seedbed preparation, rouging and warehouse inspection with the DA-Bureau of Plant Industry – National Seed Quality Control Services (DA-BPI-NSQCS).

Under the Department of Agriculture (DA), NSQCS is responsible for certifying quality seed planting materials acquired by accredited seed growers.

The three-day training is one of the activities conducted simultaneously in the region, also in time with the first anniversary celebration of the Rice Tarrification Law (RTL) or Republic Act 11203, an act liberalizing the importation, exportation and trading of rice.

DA-ATI and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority share Php1-billion allocation from the Php10-billion total budget of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, intended for extension support and education of rice farmers.

This activity is supported by the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10, thru Provincial Operations Center Chief for Bukidnon Engr. Deliza T. Camaro and the Provincial Agriculture Office, headed by Engr. Alson G. Quimba.# (EMB)

The Department of Agriculture – Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization finishes its three-day validation of Farmers’ Cooperative and Associations (FCAs) today, March 06, 2020 in Lala, Lanao del Norte.

The validation of five (5) FCAs in the three towns of Lanao del Norte, namely: Tubod, Kapatagan and Lala was done to assess the FCAs’ needs in terms of provision of agricultural machinery and equipment.

The said FCAs may also avail of farm machinery and equipment through the Mechanization Component of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), as provided in the Rice Tarrification Law (RTL).

Said activity was done a day followingthe first anniversary of the RTL which allocates Php5 billion through DA-PhilMech for the said component. # (AMBManto, DA-10)

Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte, March 5 – To mark the first year anniversary of the Rice Tarification Law or RA 11203, around 650 rice farmers received certified inbred seeds under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) following the liberalization of the rice industry in the country.

Through the DA-PhilRice, farmers of said town benefitted the 1, 400 bags of certified inbred rice seeds, which will be planted on its 700 hectare- irrigated rice area.

Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office 10 OIC Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado has been emphasizing that said program is an intervention to help farmers increase yield and reduce cost amidst the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law.

Qualified farmers listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), each received a maximum of four bags at 20 kilograms per bag, depending on farm size, from 0.5 to 2 hectares.

In the said town, the NSIC Rc 222 rice variety was distributed which has an average yield of 6.1 tons and a maximum of 10 tons per hectare, according to PhilRice.

Aside from being a high yielding variety, it is resistant to pest and diseases and adapted to multi-stress. It has heavier grain than other rice varieties and performing well in different rice environments such as rain-fed, submerged and saline.

“Hindi ko inakala may tulong ang gobyerno kung saan hindi na kami bibili ng binhi. Ito’y isang malaking tulong sa aming mga magsasaka,” said Sambitore O. Sarip of barangay Payong of said town who availed the seed distribution.

Sultan Naga Dimaparo is the 4th rice producing municipality of Lanao del Norte with 2,000 hectare lowland rice area.

DA-PhilRice is set to distribute certified inbred rice seeds of the said town for the 1,100 rainfed farmer beneficiaries by April of this year.

The law provides for financial assistance for rice farmers to be sourced from the tariff collection of the P10 billion RCEF. Around P5 billion has been allocated for distribution of inbred seeds thru DA-PhilRice.#(ATCabig)

Cagayan de Oro, March 6 – Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) awarded certificates of accreditation to 186 Farmer Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs) as beneficiaries of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) during the RCEF Regional Program Coordinating Team Meeting.

These FCAs coming from the provinces of Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte and Misamis Oriental can avail the mechanization program under DA-PhilMech, while 72 applicants will undergo field validation.

Certificates of commitment under the mechanization component were given to the beneficiaries from the 20 RCEF identified municipalities in Region 10 amounting to Php103 million as part of the 40 percent budget release for 2019.

Handing over the certificates during the ceremony was DA-RFO 10 OIC-Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado, in the presence of Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga. #

CdeO, March 3 – The Regional Technical Committee of the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) of the DA-RFO 10 convened for the evaluation of its one applicant, the Skills Mastery Institute for Learning Entrepreneurship and Success (SMILES) Foundation, Inc.

RTD for Research and Regulations of DA-RFO 10 Carmelita T. Bajarla, who is also the chair of said committee emphasized that the evaluation process ensures that the applicant has the capacity to manage agri-fishery projects and programs.

Said accreditation is pursuant to DA Administrative Order No. 8 Series of 2017.

Accredited CSO will be the agency’s partner to efficiently and effectively carry out the implementation of agri-fishery projects and encourage peoples’ participation in agricultural development.

The committee is composed of representatives from DA’s attached agencies: BFAR, ATI, PCIC, PCC, FPA, BPI, BAI, PCA, NDA, PhilFIDA and the RAFC.

In Region 10, only the Maramag Community Multi-Purpose Cooperative is the accredited CSO of DA-RFO 10. #

The Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund – Provincial Program Coordinating Team (RCEF-PPCT), in the province of Misamis Oriental thru the Department of Agriculture’s Provincial Operations Center, held a meeting earlier today, March 5, 2020 in Cagayan de Oro City.

DA-RFO 10 OIC-RED Carlene C. Collado underscored the need to assess the extent of program implementation of the concerned respective DA attached agencies.

As agreed, the team will harmonize their strategies and strengthen their coordination, to avoid duplication of assistance to the rice farmer-beneficiaries.# (MGBS)

In response to the national directives to address pressing issues relating to African Swine Fever (ASF), the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 convened Thursday, March 5, 2020 all provincial and city veterinarians in Northern Mindanao for a briefing and consultative meeting on the implementation of Executive Order (EO) No. 105 and Administrative Order (AO) No. 22.

The meeting primarily aims to streamline DA and local government units’ effort to contain ASF from infesting Northern Mindanao provinces by implementing common anti-ASF legal grounds.

DA is pushing for the enforcement of AO 22 to establish National Zoning and Movement Plan for ASF, and EO 105 – a directive creating the National Task Force for the Prevention of Animal-Borne Diseases.

Both legal orders are crafted as stop-gap measure to the spreading of animal-borne diseases in the country at the national level.

Noting some contradicting provisions between AO 22 and EO 105 with that of the local executive orders issued by local chief executives, DA-10 OIC-Regional Executive Director, Carlene C. Collado encouraged government veterinarians to endorse the national orders to the Provincial Governors and City Mayors in the region for possible consolidation and legal reconsideration.

While the unification of national and local executive orders are on the roll, RD Collado urged provincial and city vets to strengthen border protection by sourcing support from the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines and willing private partners.

DA-Bureau of Animal Industry presented the bureau’s online Local Shipping Permit Issuance System during the meeting. The system is a novel approach to battle against ASF by preventing fraudulent animal shipment.

DA-National Meat Inspection Service and DA-BAI attended the meeting-briefing to provide technical and technological assistance in the implementation of appropriate legal measures to control and contain ASF.#

Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, March 3 – The Department of Agriculture-Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) – Region 10, headed by Cluster Head Engr. Edgar B. Testa paid a courtesy call to Bukidnon Provincial Agriculturist Engr. Alson G. Quimba.

The team has started its validation of the Rice Competitive Enhancement Fund (RCEF) recipients of 18 towns in the province.

DA-PhilMech is allocated Php5-billion for the mechanization component of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Program, which provides farm machineries and equipment to qualified rice farmers organizations.

Working closely with DA-PhilMech is DA-RFO 10 Provincial Operations Center Chief for Bukidnon Engr. Deliza T. Camaro.# (EMB)