ILOILO City – As the implementation of Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) turned a year on Thursday, the Department of Agriculture in Western Visayas said local farmers are in the positive light.
In a press conference, DA regional executive director Remelyn Recoter said the first year of the RTL implementation has done good to the consumers.
Citing studies, Recoter said the RTL has caused a 10 percent rice price drop.
“We are requesting our farmers to give chance to our law because there had been clamors to amend the law. We are hoping this 2020, the 2019 (budget) and the 2020 will be implemented,” she said.
As of Thursday, the region has received 2,578 letters of intent from farmer cooperatives and associations.
Recoter said more than half of the number has already been accredited and can avail of the benefits under the RTL.
The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), one of the implementing agencies of the RTL, has already kicked off its distribution of seeds.
PhilRice regional focal person Fennie Lyn Pantin, however, said the distribution of seeds to farmer cooperatives and associations was done in the third week of October 2019.
“Some of the farmers have already planted when the seeds arrived,” she said.
Recoter said the certified seeds that will be distributed to the farmers will increase one metric ton of harvest per hectare.
On the other hand, the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization will also start distributing farm machinery this month.
Thirty-eight farmers’ cooperatives and associations will benefit from the mechanization, which include farm equipment like four-wheel tractor, hand tractor, floating tiller, combine harvester, among others.
“For the mechanization, the intention is to decrease the cost of production because the biggest expense in rice farming is labor that is about more or less 30 to 40 percent,” Recoter said. (with a report from PNA/PN)
