Dingras, Ilocos Norte - The National Irrigation Authority (NIA) has initiated a distribution of hybrid seeds to local farmers as part of a contract farming scheme designed to enhance agricultural productivity and manage costs during the ongoing El Niño phenomenon.
According to Philippines News Agency, this initiative in Dingras town involved supplying 935 bags of hybrid seeds to members of the San Marcelino Irrigators Association. This effort is aimed at supporting farmers to increase their income while ensuring food sufficiency and security during a time of climatic challenge. Rogelio Ceredon, a rice farmer and beneficiary from Dingras, noted on Wednesday the vital support of continuous water delivery from the National Irrigation Administration, which has been crucial during the prolonged drought.
The scheme includes about 901 hectares of irrigated rice land across various local associations, including Bonga Pump 1, 2, and 3 Irrigators Associations and the Madongan River Irrigation System Irrigators Associations. These areas are part of NIA's broader rice farming support program, which collaborates with the Department of Agriculture, Philippine Rice Research Institute, local government units, and irrigators associations to supply farmers with modern irrigation technologies and other farm inputs like fertilizers and equipment.
NIA 1 (Ilocos Region) manager Danilo V. Gomez stated that the distribution of farm inputs is ongoing, aiming to help farmers not only improve crop yields but also become more integrated into the agricultural value chain. NIA Administrator Eduardo Guillen emphasized the importance of farmers engaging as entrepreneurs, not just producers, to capture the full value chain of rice production. Under the contract farming program, farmers are assured of securing income with rice being purchased at a farmgate price of at least PHP20 per kg, while the cost of production remains between PHP13.90 to PHP14.20 per kg.