A total of 103,726 rice farmers received from the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office I (DA-RFO I) their fertilizer subsidy reimbursement amounting to Php206,662,275.
The Rice Banner Program informed that at least 76 percent of the total targeted reimbursement in Region I or 165,376 farmer-beneficiaries will receive a total of Php273,434,940 reimbursement amount under DA’s Plant Plant Plant Program.
From among the four provinces in the region, only the province of Pangasinan has completed the payment to 45,988 farmer-beneficiaries. The provinces of La Union (8,971 farmers with total reimbursement of Php14, 199,932), Ilocos Sur (29,681 farmers with a total reimbursment of Php47,096,415) and Ilocos Norte (19,086 farmers with total reimbursement of Php40,511,988) are still on the process of distributing the transaction codes which the recipients will use to claim the reimbursement at MLhuillier, the official partner money remittance of the DA in the program.
The fertilizer reimbursement scheme is part of the Rice Resiliency Program of DA to help farmers reduce their cost of production and as a way to lessen the impact of the pandemic in their livelihood.
To avail of the fertilizer subsidy program, farmers who planted inbred rice variety must buy 4 bags of fertilizer (2 bags inorganic and 2 bags urea) while 5 bags of fertilizer (2 bags inorganic and 3 bags urea) for those who planted hybrid rice variety.##