(Agriculture Sec. William Dar leads distribution of cash cards during the 123rd celebration of Unang Sigaw ng Nueva Ecija. Photo by Armand Galang)
ZARAGOZA, Nueva Ecija – Some 1,000 rice farmers received cash cards of P15,000 each as the Department of Agriculture (DA) officially launched its Expanded Survival and Recovery Assistance Program for Rice Farmers (SURE Aid) here Monday.
Agriculture Sec. William Dar led the distribution which coincided with the 123rd celebration of Unang Sigaw ng Nueva Ecija (First Cry of Nueva Ecija) and attended by some governors of top rice-producing provinces, including Rodolfo Albani III (Isabela), Carlo Cua ( Quirino), Carlos Padilla (Nueva Vizcaya), Susan Yap (Tarlac), and Aurelio Umali of host Nueva Ecija.
Pampanga and Bataan sent their respective representatives as well as Sen. Cynthia Villar, chair of the Senate committee on agriculture and food who was supposed to keynote the event.
Land Bank president and CEO Cecilla Borromeo said they brought here several automated teller machines (ATM) to make sure benefi ciaries can readily withdraw their zero-interest SURE Aid loans.
Dar said SURE Aid, aimed at providing loan assistance for immediate relief to rice farmers affected by the impact of low palay prices as a result of the Rice Tariffication Law (RA 11203), is one of the many programs that the DA is implementing.
The loan, Dar explained, is payable in eight years. It can be availed by farmers tilling one hectare of land and below.
Under the program, the LandBank will administer the P1.5-billion fund from DA-Agricultural Credit Policy Council ((DA-ACPC) by releasing the loans either through direct lending to farmers or through service conduits in unbanked and unserved areas.
The program intends to serve a total of 100,000 rice farmers nationwide. Some 2,000 of whom will come from Nueva Ecija.
“This is more sustainable than dole outs,” Dar said liking the program to teaching farmrse how to fish.
“Kaya wag banggain ang gobyerno dahil ang gobyernonay tumutulong,” he said.
Dar asked the National Food Authority to intensify procurement of locally-produce rice even as he requested the Department of Social Welfare and Development to buy rice from local producers, specifically local government units who buy and mill palay from constituents.
At least 22 governors are set to meet at the DA Central Office on Tuesday to tackle assistance program like in Nueva Ecija which put up P200-million procurement fund. The NEPG will buy fresh palay at P15 a kilo.
Mayor Efren Nieves lauded the project that benefitted 299 farmers.
