Negros Occidental farmers’ group sells rice at P25 per kilo

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Grateful for the rice production assistance provided by the Negros Occidental provincial government, an association of farmers in the province is selling rice at P25 per kilo.

Pedro Limpangog, president of the Federation of Irrigators’ Associations Central Negros Bago River Irrigation System (FIACN BRIS), said five kilos of rice are being allocated per person.

Residents flocked yesterday to the Bigas ng Bayan commercial stall, which was set up at the Food Terminal Market of Negros Occidental in this city, where the cheap rice was sold. Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez attended the activity.

Citing the good track record of the farmers’ association, the provincial government hired farmers for its rice sufficiency program.

Lacson said job order workers were paid P12,000 a month to plant rice as well as operate rice equipment and machineries to assist rice farmers affected by natural calamities.

Lacson said he was suprised that FIACN BRIS allocated 10 percent of its rice production to sell it to the public at P25 per kilo.

FIACN BRIS, which is composed of 44 irrigators’ associations in Central Negros, initially sold rice at P25 per kilo to 455 people.

Lacson said the P25 per kilo of rice is subject to availability of supply.

Benitez thanked the farmers for their generosity, saying he is discussing with the Department of Agriculture-Western Visayas office if the rice production program can be continued.