Is Bohol, Philippine Rice Sufficient?

By Rey Anthony Chiu
Philippine Information Agency - Bohol

Contrary to the belief that Bohol is rice sufficient, the province still needs P13.786M to attain full rice sufficiency in two years, a technical working group (TWG) tasked to make develop Bohol agriculture said. 

  For this, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan led by Vice Governor Julius Caesar Herrera Tuesday passed the appropriations to satisfy a request from Governor Erico Aumentado for Bohol to put up key mobilization fund for Bohol's Rice Accelerated Enhancement Response (RacER).

  RacER is recommended by the TWG. 

  The TWG, composed of former Department of Agriculture regional technical director Dr. Jose Quitazol, Provincial Agriculturist Liza Quirog, Agricultural Promotions Center Manager Eugene Cahiles, National Food Authority's Nestor Rey Alcoseba, Bohol Poverty Reduction and Management Officer Antonieto Pernia, Provincial Environment Officer Eduardo Inting, Irrigation Officer Modesto Membreve and still some unnamed technical men recommended the amount to be taken from the Provincial Government cash boxes to improve agriculture here.

  Of the amount however, only the P1400 revolving fund subsidy for each bag of hybrid of rice seeds that go to irrigators associations and technical trainings, seminars would go directly to the farmers. The rest covers incentives to technologists, rice technicians, municipal agriculture officers and coordinators. 

  Many critics and farmers openly said "this is disheartening."

  "While the technicians get salaries from the government, it is us who are asked to produce so the best farmers should be the one's getting the incentives, not them," a farmer who asked not to be named, complained. 

  The complaint also goes in line with Hongkong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) stand on subsidies which it said is perhaps politically opportune, [are] but hardly the answer to the current rice woes. 

  On subsidies, HSBA said "it would have perverse impacts, by prolonging the adjustment process that is required." The bank recommended instead, for farmers to be given more incentives for improved production.
About Racer

  RAcER, as adopted by Bohol, sets to motion multi-component approaches to food sufficiency, reports said.

  Racer attempts to address the remaining 17% gap in the province's rice sufficiency, which now only amounts to a little over 82%, data from form the Office of the Provincial Agriculture stated.