Fernando Salvador and fellow rice farmers in Barangay Pinili, San Jose City, Nueva Ecija cannot hide their joy over the bountiful harvest they achieved this 2023 wet season.
“Ngayong rainy season nagtanim po kami ng inbred, at dahil sa mahusay na pag-aalaga nakaani kami nang mahigit isangdaang cavan kada ektarya, na mas marami kumpara sa mga nakaraang taon,” said Salvador, chairman of the 44-member Binabuyan Farmers’ Association in Barangay Pinili, San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.
“Sa aking sinasakang 1.7 ektarya, nakaani po ako nang 170 cavan, na naipagbili ko sa P20 kada kilo,” he added.
Salvador and his fellow farmers in Barangay Pinili attributed their bountiful harvest and big income to the free certified rice seeds, fertilizers, and technical support extended by the Department of Agriculture thru Regional Field Office in Central Luzon (DA-RFO 3) under the National Rice Program (NRP) and the Rice Competitiveness Enhance Fund (RCEF) program.
“Nakakagawa po kami ng maraming mainam na bagay sa aming sakahan na nagbunga ng masaganang ani ay malaking kita dahil sa gobyernong Marcos partikular na ang DA, na nagbigay ng libreng binhi, abono at pagsasanay,” Salvador said.
“At ipinagmamalaki ko po na PhilGAP (Philippine Good Agricultural Practices) certified po ang aking sakahan,” he added.
In addition to following PhilGAP, Salvador also placed his trust on the quality of rice he planted, namely NSIC Rc 402 during the rainy season and hybrid rice for next dry season. This is a combination which his farmer-counterparts utilize, thus giving them abundant harvests and bigger incomes.
“Dati, sabi nang mga kanayon namin, kami’y magsasaka lamang ng dayami. Pero ngayon, kami ay umuunlad na, umaangat at tumaas na ang aming lebel,” Salvador said.
He said all of them at Binabuyan Farmers’ Association convey their profound gratitude to the tireless efforts of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who concurrently serves as Secretary of the Department of Agriculture.
“Nararamdaman po namin ang kaniyang pagsusumikap upang matulungan kaming mga magsasaka. Malaking tulong ang kaniyang mga proyektong isinusulong. Sana po’y hindi siya magsawang magbigay ng gabay at halaga sa aming mga magsasaka,” Salvador said.
Meanwhile, DA-RFO3 rice program focal person Dr. Lowell Rebillaco said that, as of October 6, 2023, 71,568 hectares were harvested, with an estimated volume of 354,980 metric tons (MT), for an average of 4.96 MT/ha. The harvested area represents 15.6 percent of the total planted area of 457,782 hectares this 2023 wet season. The bulk of the area will be harvested in the remaining days of October onto November.
For October, Nueva Ecija is expected to harvest 532,980 MT and for November, 153,000 MT, according to estimates by the Philippine Rice Information System (PRiSM), based on satellite data in mid-September 2023.
Photo Courtesy of PCO
