By Brian Campued
Coinciding with his 67th birthday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led the launching of the “Agri-Puhunan at Pantawid Program” (APP) for rice farmers in Guimba, Nueva Ecija on Thursday.
In his speech, the President honored the farmers—whose lives he hopes to improve by implementing programs and projects that will help the agriculture sector.
“Kayo ang bumubuhay sa ating bayan. Sa inyo nagmumula ang ating kasaganahan. Sa inyong mga kamay nakasalalay ang seguridad ng pagkain ng ating bansa,” Marcos said.
“Nararapat lamang na gunitain natin at kilalanin natin ang inyong kabayanihan at bigyang-pugay ang inyong walang kapantay na kahusayan at kasipagan,” he added.
Under the Agri-Puhunan program of the Department of Agriculture (DA), along with the Development Bank of the Philippines and Planters Products Incorporated, rice farmer-members of agricultural cooperatives will receive Interventions Monitoring Cards (IMCs) which can be used to cover their production costs and address the critical challenges they face.
The IMC contains P28,000 worth of input credits that farmers can use to buy seeds and fertilizers, as well as other tools for farming, through accredited merchants.
The program will provide low-cost credit, financial assistance, and a ready market for the farmers’ harvests—ultimately aimed at increasing their productivity and income.
The government will begin the rollout of the program for cooperatives under the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems, Magat River Integrated Irrigation System, and NIA systems serving the Cordillera Administrative Region.
The Chief Executive added that the government will also provide subsistence allowance of P32,000 to farmers that will be distributed in P8,000 monthly for four months.
The National Food Authority will then purchase their harvest in the amount of five tons or 100 sacks of palay at prices not below P21 per kilo.
“Wala nang pangambang maloloko sa presyo. Wala nang alalahanin sa kakulangan ng pondo,” Marcos said.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the credit program aligns with the President’s goal to make farming bankable, attract more and bigger investments, nurture a new generation of farmers by improving their living conditions, as well as ensure national food security and sustainability in the country.
“We will provide our farmers with the financial resources needed to pursue their vocation. This initiative will extend credit to farmers for seeds and other inputs, crop insurance, subsistence allowance until harvest, and ensure a ready market with the National Food Authority and the Department of Social Welfare and Development for a predetermined volume and income,” the DA chief said.
“We envision this program as a self-sustaining initiative that will finally unlock the potential of the agriculture sector, which provides two out of every ten jobs in the Philippines but contributes less than ten percent to the gross domestic product. We are hopeful that this initiative will be a game-changer for the sector and those who depend on farming,” he added. – iro
