Rice farmers in Ilocos region received their cash grant from the Department of Agriculture with the launching of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA) led by Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar.
Launched today in the City of Vigan and in Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur, the RCEF-RFFA is a financial program under DA, in partnership with the Development Bank of the Philippines, in which P5,000 cash assistance are given to rice farmers tilling a land area of 2 hectares and below and registered in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).
The RCEF-RFFA is but one among many other assistance derived from the tariffs collected as a result of the Rice Tarifficarion Law.
A total of 267,978 rice farmers in Ilocos region shall benefit from the said program with a total funding allocation of about P1.3 billion.
Apart from the launching of the said program, the agri chief also led the awarding of various agri-fishery projects and interventions which include the distribution of loan assistance under the SURE AID program ; Turn-over of SURE fund to lending conduits; Awarding of ASF Indemnification to affected hog raiders in the province and distribution of other assistance from NTA, BFAR, and PCIC , among others.
The Secretary also led the inauguration of Nueva Segovia Consortium of Cooperative’s (NSCC) various facilities in Caoayan, Ilocos Sur and MOA Signing for the Food Safety Program of DA where a Pesticide Residue Testing Laboratory worth P6.7M will be established in the municipalities of Sta. Catalina and Sta Maria, in Ilocos Sur ###
