Typhoon-hit farmers to receive seed subsidy

Farmers who lost their palay because of Typhoons “Pedring” (international name: Nesat) and “Quiel” (international name: Nalgae) that struck central and northern Luzon two weeks ago will get seed subsidy from the Department of Agriculture (DA), depending on the extent of their crop damage.

Edmund Quinit, DA Pangasinan chief, said farmers whose crops have no chance of recovery will get a subsidy worth P1,200 a hectare, while those whose crops can be salvaged will receive P600 a hectare.

Nestor Batalla, a personnel at the provincial agriculturist office, said municipal agriculture officers should submit a list of farmers needing the subsidy before November 12.

Under its implementing guidelines, the DA’s rice rehabilitation program for areas hit by calamities sets aside funds for the procurement of good quality seeds so farmers can replant and recover their production losses.

Dante de Lima, national rice program director, said the guidelines were issued to ensure that proper procedures would be followed in seed procurement and that all farmers who lost their crops would be given assistance.

Oftociano Manalo Jr., president of the Confederation of Irrigators Associations in the Ilocos, said the subsidy is a big help to farmers whose rice lands were severely damaged in Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte.

He also asked the government to give them a moratorium on the payment of irrigation fees to help farmers recover from the destruction of their crops.  Yolanda Sotelo, Inquirer Northern Luzon