BORONGAN CITY, July 6 (PIA) — The Province of Eastern Samar through the leadership of Governor Ben P. Evardone is set to launch “Bastante nga Pagkaon ha Este” or BPE.
“One of the features of the said program is to establish a Marketing Arm in the province. This marketing arm will purchase the farmers' products to encourage productivity," Governor said.
The Governor said that the marketing arm will serve as a permanent market for farmer’s products through the use of modern platforms and on line technology.
However, the governor will presently focus on rice production.
“I will focus on the rice sufficiency as Eastern Samar is not yet sufficient as regards rice production."
Evardone said he realized this during this COVID-19 pandemic, that the province lacks rice supply for relief operation.
“Sixty percent of the total population in the province can be supplied by our rice producer, but the 40 percent is bought outside of the province,” Evardone added.
This is why, the governor said, the province needs to produce more to be self-sufficient in rice.
Governor Evardone also narrated his visits to other towns where the provincial government also distributed certified seeds and fertilizers to the farmers through the Rice Resiliency Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
“I challenged the farmer-beneficiaries to produce 70 sacks of palay per hectare per season,” Evardone added.
He then computed the farmers earnings once they produce at least 70 bags, per hectare, per cropping season.
If a farmer produces 70 bags of palay per hectare, if milled into rice, this will amount to 45 bags of rice, if the farmer deducts 10 bags for their family consumption so he will still have 35 bags to sell, Evardone said.
With the 35 bags of rice to sell with the present price of P2,000. per bag, this will be equivalent to P70, 000. This could double if a farmer plants twice a year.
The governor said the project will not only help the province gain self-sufficiency in rice, it will also increase the yield and the farmers′ income.
“With this, we can have sufficient rice production in and even surplus in the province,” Evadone said.
As to other agricultural commodities, the office of the provincial agricultural services (OPAS) Chief Virgilio Capon said that they are now in the thick of preparing different proposals for other agricultural commodities to include the final draft of the provincial marketing department (nbq/SDC/PIA-E. Samar)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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