ILOILO City – Former Agriculture secretary and now Bohol Gov. Arthur Yap said farmers need the assurance that their palay produce would be purchased.
Yap added the rice importation in the country still needs deeper study.
“Let’s study right now if it has a positive or negative impact,” he said.
With the falling prices of palay, Yap added farmers need “a necessary respite” and the government needs to refocus on the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
“We have to pay attention to the rice fund, the RCEF, and make sure that it is given to the farmers, especially on the issues of post-harvest technology, education and extension,” he said.
He added the reapplication of the RCEF should be studied for it to be distributed for more processing centers for farmers and establish a buy-back program for the produce.
Yap said the Department of Agriculture (DA) is implementing the Survival and Recovery Assistance program, which offers a P15,000 loan to farmers, payable for eight years without interest.
According to him, this program of the Agriculture sector urges farmers to plant more but the DA should complement it with a buy-back program.
“You know farmers. You can promise them aid, technology, inputs, post-harvest (facilities). It doesn’t mean anything to a farmer. All a farmer wants to know is ‘When I harvest my palay, will you buy (it) and at what price?’” Yap said.
He added Bohol is consolidating the irrigated farm areas to provide farmers with hybrid seeds.
“If your farm is irrigated, you will move to hybrid and I will give you the buy-back program,” he said.
Yap, who was in the city on Friday to visit the old Iloilo Airport turned business hub in Mandurriao district, said the Bohol province is exploring the possibility of doing the same in the 26 hectares of idle land at the old Tagbilaran airport.(With a report from PNA/PN)
