Antique: A total of 1,420 farmers from the seven municipalities of Antique have received certified seeds from the Department of Agriculture (DA) in preparation for the wet season starting next month.

According to Philippines News Agency, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist rice program coordinator Hanna Lindo announced in an interview that 12,800 bags of certified seeds were distributed to recipient-farmers listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture. These seeds will cover an area of 1,240 hectares.

The farmers from the municipalities of Belison, Bugasong, Hamtic, Laua-an, San Remigio, Sebaste, and Sibalom received varying numbers of seed bags, with Belison getting 1,000 bags, Bugasong 3,250, Hamtic 1,150, Laua-an 3,000, San Remigio 1,400, Sebaste 500, and Sibalom 2,500 bags. Each bag contains 20 kilos of seeds, providing substantial support for the upcoming planting season.

The province was allocated a total of 68,800 bags of certified seeds by the Philippine Rice Research Institute under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Seed Component for the wet season. Lindo noted that these 68,800 bags are sufficient to plant 34,000 hectares of rice area across the province, ensuring extensive coverage for rice cultivation.

The planting to harvesting cycle typically spans 110 days, with an anticipated yield of 4.5 to 5.9 metric tons of rice per hectare. This distribution aims to bolster rice production in the region and support local farmers in achieving higher yields during the wet season.