NORTHERN Mindanao Agriculture department (DA-10), in cooperation with the region's Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), brought together top achievers in the rice industry for the 2019 Rice Achievers Awards (RAA) on Friday, (Nov. 27) at the ATI El Salvador City.
The RAA is an annual event headed by the DA, through the ATI-10, aims to celebrate innovations and technologies in the rice industry as key in attaining food security and sustainability in the region.
Two outstanding provinces for category A and B and a city received the awards with P4 million and P1 million worth of livelihood each respectively.
The department and ATI even urged the public to be "RICEponsible," plays for 'responsible rice consumers.'
Early last month, DA-10 called anew the public to support the local rice farmers as to strengthen its advocacy of promoting the consumption of locally grown rice.
With the theme, “Buy local. Eat local. Support Filipino rice farmers,” the department capped the National Rice Awareness Month celebration on Friday, said in a press statement Monday.
During the awarding rite, the Department's regional technical director Carlota S. Madriaga reiterated as she urged the consumers to buy more locally-produced rice and other food products to help increase the income of local farmers.
"We really need to patronize locally-produced rice at a reasonable price," said Madriaga.
The move would encourage palay farmers to increase their production and address the unstable commercial buying prices in parts of the region, according to Madriaga.
She said DA’s implementation of programs and projects would eventually ensure the availability of quality and affordable rice to local consumers as well as improve the area’s food self-sufficiency.
Madriaga said the department has provisions of seeds, farm machinery, equipment to different farmers cooperatives, associations aside from other programs that could help them in attaining food security.
“Let us be reminded, there will be no food on the Filipino people’s table if it were not for the farmers,” said Madriaga.
ATI-10 center director Ma. Lydia A. Echavez encouraged Filipinos to value every grain of rice produced by the farmers.
“We take time to honor our farmers as well as encourage every Filipino to be one of us, to do our small share of being "riceponsible"," said Echavez.
Northern Mindanao National Rice Achievers awards were recognized for their invaluable contribution to food security, Echavez said.
Outstanding provinces are Bukidnon for Category A and Lanao del Norte for Category B, with an award of P4 million worth of livelihood projects each related to rice production.
Category A is for provinces with production performance greater than 250,000 metric tons per hectare (MT/ha) and area harvested of 500,000 ha.
Meanwhile, under category B, provinces with a production performance less than 250,000 MT/ha and area harvested of 25,000 ha are included.
The City of Valencia in Bukidnon is one of the outstanding cities for its support and efforts in addressing the plight of smallholder rice farmers and for contributing largely to rice productivity. Valencia City received an award of P1 million worth of livelihood projects.
The celebration does not only highlight the marketing and consumption aspect but also the production of local rice, encouraging various stakeholders to support the Filipino farmers, a report said. (Angie Cabig with a report from Ben Balce)
