The Department of Agriculture – Caraga started the release of the P5,000 cash aid to 44,452 qualified rice farmers in the region through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund – Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA) on November 16.

The release of the financial assistance in the region is in partnership with the Development Bank of the Philippines conduit-accredited remittance center Universal Storefront Services Corporation.

Regional Executive Director Ricardo M. Oñate, Jr. signals the start of the distribution through a ceremonial turn-over of the Interventions Monitoring Card (IMC) to Jenny Lara, as she represents the 3,292 recipients in Butuan City.

Director Oñate said that IMC is a card that serves both as identification and a cash card to access government assistance for farmers enrolled in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).

“The low farmgate price of palay is still among the primary concerns in the country and in our region through RCEF-RFFA this can augment farmer’s production needs. We continually encouraged farmers to enroll in the farmer’s registry so that they can avail a wide range of interventions from the government,” said Director Oñate.

Under the Republic Act No. 11203 or the Rice Tarrification Law (RTL), of the total tariff collected annually, P5 billion is automatically appropriated for the provision of farm machinery and equipment, P3 billion for certified inbred seeds, P1 billion for credit, and P1 billion for training and extension or a total of P10 billion.

The excess tariffs, funded the RCEF-RFFA to make smallholder rice farmers more productive and competitive. Rice farmers tilling two hectares or less and registered in RSBSA are the priority of the financial assistance.

Jennifer G. Mabras, 37, and Leonardo T. Lara, 73 from Butuan City both attested that enrolling in RSBSA help them to easily avail the assistance such as quality rice seeds, fertilizer subsidy, farm mechanization thru their membership of Farmer’s Cooperative and Association, and financial assistance like RFFA from the DA.

“I will use the P5,000 cash assistance to purchase fertilizers and other inputs for my 2-hectare rice area. Some of it will be added as working capital for my native chicken production. The assistance is timely and truly a great help,” Mabras said.

In Caraga region, 7203 rice farmers  set to receive the assistance are from Butuan City and Agusan del Norte, 16,307 Agusan del Sur, 8,101 in Surigao del Norte, 11,375 in Surigao del Sur, and 1,741 rice farmers in the Province of Dinagat Islands.