DA7 releases more than P200M subsidy to rice farmers

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Created on Wednesday, 10 June 2020
A total of P238.5 million financial cash assistance has been released by the Department of Agriculture-Central Visayas (DA7) to the 47,682 rice farmers of Bohol and Negros Oriental. 
The financial assistance provided by the DA under the Financial Subsidy for Rice Farmers (FSRF) has been released through the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to the farmers in the said provinces at P5,000 each. 
DA7 Regional Executive Director Salvador D. Diputado disclosed that region 7 has a total of 62,536 FSRF beneficiaries, of which the corresponding cash amount is deposited at LBP. These qualified rice farmers are registered under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA). They till below one hectare rice area and not covered by the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA) program. 
He said that of the 47,682 rice farmers who claimed their cash assistance, 39,913 are from Bohol and 7,769 are from Negros Oriental. Also, of these numbers, 1,197 claimed through the LBP issued cash cards, while the rest through 'over-the-counter'. 
Diputado bared that per guidelines only Bohol and Negros Oriental in Central Visayas region are included in the FSRF due to the areas planted to rice.
Diptado explained that the FSRF is DA initiated program that assist small rice farmers who were affected by the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) and are not covered by the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund - Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA).  
"We fast track the distribution, so that these rice farmers who are affected by the RTL and now with this COVID 19 pandemic, can cope with the struggles". 
Farmers Rolando Casiro and Davina Inutan of Duero and Bilar, Bohol, respectively, expressed their gratitude to the government for the cash assistance received. The amount, they said will greatly help them in their rice farming activities. They will use the cash to buy seeds, fertilizers and as payment for salary of their hired labor.
For Negros Oriental farmers Norre Sanuba and Arturo Kompasyon of Guihulngan City and Bais City, respectively, shared the same sentiments with the Bohol farmers.
Diputado encourages the farmer-beneficiaries to use their cash wisely. 
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