ILOILO City – How can the country attain rice sufficiency?
Rice must not only be produced, it should also be valued, stressed the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 6 – Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).
Hence, the relationship between farmers as producers and consumers as eaters should be nurtured, they stressed.
Yesterday DA-6 and PhilRice launched the 2018 National Rice Awareness Month celebration at SM City Iloilo Northpoint Activity Center.
Rice security is a function of both production and consumption, according to the two government agencies.
Making safe and nutritious rice affordable, accessible and available at all times does not depend on farmers alone but also on the consuming public at the receiving end, they stressed.
Rice must not be wasted, according to DA-PhilRice.
Consumers were challenged, too, to eat not only white rice but also brown rice and rice-corn blend.
The 2018 National Rice Awareness Month celebration also aims to inspire farmers to access rice information, use recommended technologies as well as engage in “agri-preneurship.”
Other activities relative to the celebration of National Rice Awareness Month are Brown Rice Feeding Program in an elementary school in Iloilo City on Nov. 16 and the Run for Rice 3K Fun Run on Nov. 24 at SM City Southpoint.
The fun run is free-admission and is open to everyone on first come, first served basis. T-shirts, ballers, ballpens, water tumblers, mugs, round hats, hand fans, snacks and other freebies will be given away./PN
