BACOLOD City – For the first time, Bago City – dubbed as Negros Occidental’s rice granary – was recognized by the Department of Agriculture (DA) as one of the country’s top rice producers.
Bago City was the only local government unit from Western Visayas that made it among the DA’s 2017 Rice Achievers, which comprised seven provinces and 15 cities and municipalities from across the country.
“Bago City takes pride in receiving the honor for the first time,” said Bago City mayor Nicholas Yulo on Friday.
Yulo and City Agriculturist Carlito Indencia received the award, which came with a trophy and a P1-million check, from DA secretary Emmanuel Piñol and Sen. Cynthia Villar during the awarding ceremony at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on Thursday.
Bago bagged the recognition for surpassing the national average yield for rice production.
Figures from the City Agriculture Office showed that Bago produced 4.2 tons of rice per hectare last year, higher than the 4.01-metric ton minimum requirement set by the DA.
Yulo said Bago City surpassed the minimum requirement due to interventions and support services the local government provided its farmers.
Indencia added that the southern Negros Occidental city contributed 19.57 percent to the province’s total rice production.
Currently, Bago’s rice sufficiency level is at 235.67 percent. (With a report from PNA/PN)
