Poe calls for seed subsidy for farmers affected by Typhoon ‘Ompong’

By: Cathrine Gonzales - 6 years ago

Senator Grace Poe called on the government on Monday to provide seed subsidy to farmers in Northern Luzon hit by typhoon Ompong.

The government, she said, should treat the rehabilitation of typhoon-struck Cagayan Valley farms as an issue of national food security, noting that its five provinces and four cities account for one-fourth and one-seventh of the country’s rice and corn production, respectively.

Poe said while farmers would welcome relief goods, they would need “production assistance” more, which could be through a seed subsidy.

“Give a Cagayan Valley farmer a bag of rice, and he can feed his family for a week, but give him rice seeds for planting, and he can feed many people for a long time,” she said in a statement.

The senator cited data from the Philippine Rice Research Institute, noting that 40 kilograms of certified rice seeds are enough to plant rice per hectare.

“The ROI (return of investment) here is bigger. Malaki ang multiplier effect (multiplier effect is huge), volume-wise, 100 times. And from a procurement point of view, certified seeds are cheaper than milled rice at P32.50 per kilo,” she explained.

Poe suggested that rice, corn, and vegetable seeds can be given directly to farmers, or its purchase can be designated in a production grant or credit assistance.

The senator, however, noted that the seed assistance program would only work if implemented in tandem with the repair of farm-to-market roads, solar dryers, and irrigation.

“Samahan na rin natin ng discounted gasoline para sa kanilang traktora, mabilis na bayad ng crop insurance at extension ng payment ng loans na walang interest,” she said.

(Let’s also include discounted gasoline for their tractors, fast payment of crop insurance, and extension of payment of loans without interest.)