ANTIQUE: The Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) has commenced the distribution of rice seeds to registered farmers in Antique as preparations for the dry season get underway. The initiative aims to support local farmers in optimizing their crop yields following a challenging wet season.

According to Philippines News Agency, DA-Philrice has set aside 33,500 bags of rice seeds for the farmers in Antique province. Christian Dubria, the rice report officer from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, confirmed that out of the total allocation, 1,200 bags have already been distributed. Specifically, 100 bags were delivered to Anini-y, 300 to Tobias Fornier, and 400 each to recipients in Sibalom and San Jose de Buenavista.

Dubria explained that farmers registered under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture are eligible to receive two bags, equivalent to 40 kilograms, of seeds per hectare. “As of Sept. 30, we have just received a report of around 3,000 hec
tares of land newly planted with rice,” he stated, noting that the recent harvest for the wet season concluded on Sept. 15, with only 12,553.78 hectares out of 17,500 hectares harvested due to damage from the southwest monsoon.

Dubria also emphasized the importance of insuring rice farms with the Philippine Rice Insurance Corporation to provide financial protection against potential calamities. The insurance is intended to offer indemnity to farmers whose crops are adversely affected by unpredictable weather conditions.