North Luzon farmers cite better harvest income

MANILA, Philippines – North Luzon farmers have expressed delight these days as they are enjoying the benefits of high palay prices versus previous years.

Fresh palay fetches an average of P20 per kilogram (kg), while dry ones are sold for P26/kg, said Samuel Lugo, president of Tumauini Irrigation Pilot Area, a federation of Irrigators’ Associations (IAs) in Isabela.

“Naibenta namin ang aming sariwang palay sa P20 kada kilo, kaya kami’y nakabawi ngayon. Ang dagdag na kita ay malaking tulong sa aming pamilya para sa pang-araw-araw na pangangailangan,” Lugo said.

“The other major reason why farmers have higher income was the good result of interventions given them by the Department of Agriculture,” added Lugo, whose group is composed of 15 IAs with more than 4,000 members tilling more than 3,000 hectares in Tumauini, Isabela.

They also cited President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is also the agriculture secretary, for the support that the government is extending to them and other rice farmers nationwide.

“Sa ngalan po ng federation, ipinapaabot namin ang aming pasasalamat sa mga magagandang ayuda na ibinibigay nya sa aming mga magsasaka.”

“Ang maganda pa ngayon ay nakamenos kami dahil sa mga ibinibigay na suporta ng DA tulad ng binhi at abono. Bumaba po ang aming gastos sa pagsasaka,” he explained.

He said that most of them plant hybrid rice varieties: “Puro hybrid po ang aming itinatanim. Maski sa wet season, ito pa rin ang aming ginagamit, dahil mas mataas ang ani.”

Lugo’s group has attained an average yield of 5 metric tons (MT) per hectare, giving them an average gross income of P112,000, according to estimates by the DA Regional Field Office No. 2 (Cagayan Valley), led by OIC-Director Rose Mary Gazzingan-Aquino.

Noel Baquiran, Municipal Agriculturist of Tumauini, said that farmers are well-compensated this 2023 wet season.

“Ngayon, masaya ang mga magsasaka dahil sa mataas na presyo ng kanilang palay. Bumaba ang kanilang gastos dahil sa mga suporta ng DA at mayroon pang support price na idinadagdag ng Provincial Government of Isabela, through Governor Rodolfo Albano III, na P2-subsidy on top of the buying price of the National Food Authority,” Baquiran said.

In all, this 2023 wet season, the total area planted to rice in Isabela is 326,301 hectares, with a target production of 606,826 MT, said Dr. Marvin Luis, DA-RFO 2 rice program coordinator. As of Sept. 30, 108,528 hectares were already harvested, representing one-third of total area planted, he added.

Based on satellite data gathered by the Philippine Rice Information System, Isabela has, to date, harvested over 453,400 MT this third quarter, and projected to produce more than 346,500 MT in October and November.