WV rice yield hikes despite Yolanda woes

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Rice production in Western Visayas had increased by 17.2 percent in the first quarter of this year, or a 17.2 percent rise than last year's same period, despite the heavy agricultural damage caused by typhoon Yolanda five months ago.

Department of Agriculture-Region 6 director Larry Nacionales said the region has a total production of 583,873 metric tons for the first quarter this year, higher than 498,038 mt in the same period last year.

The DA-6 report showed that Guimaras province had the highest production increase of 86.5 percent with the total production of 11,693 mt compared to 6,271 mt last year,

Iloilo province had 43.8 percent increase with 294,139-mt production this year compared to 204,618 mt last year; Negros Occidental had 3.4 percent increase, producing 88,750 mt than the 85,859-mt yield last year; and Antique also had 3.4 percent hike with 61,090 mt than last year's 59,109 mt.

The provinces of Aklan and Capiz, which were badly hit by Yolanda, however failed to increase their production. Aklan had only 38,534 mt, lower than last year's 45,231 mt, while Capiz had only 89,667 mt yield, less than last year's 96,950 mt.

Nacionales was optimistic Western Visayas will attain this year's production target of 2,891,072 mt. Favorable weather condition and staggered rain showers late last year enabled farmers to intensify third cropping rice planting and were harvest their crops in the first quarter of this year, he said.

He said certified seeds and fertilizer intervention, fuel subsidy and cash-for-work program in Yolanda-affected areas also prompted rice farmers to till and utilize their respective farms early.

DA- 6 distributed a total of 6,986 bags of CS, worth more than P8.38 million, while the Food and Agriculture Organization gave out 9,698 bags of CS costing more than P11.63 million.

For the fertilizer assistance, DA-6 distributed 992 bags of complete fertilizer, 345 bags of muriate of potash and 160 liters of foliar fertilizer, worth a total of more than P1.99 million, while FAO distributed 9,698 bags of urea amounting to more than P8.72 million.

Nacionales further said each beneficiary, in the affected areas, got one bag of CS and one bag fertilizer per hectare, and a maximum of three bags for each farmer having more than three hectares of rice field.   (FREEMAN)