Bulacan receives Rice Achiever Award for the third time
CITY OF MALOLOS – For three consecutive years, the Department of Agriculture honored Bulacan as one of the top ten provinces with significant contribution to Rice Sufficiency Program.
Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado, Vice Gov. Daniel Fernando and Provincial Agriculture Officer Ma. Gloria SF. Carrillo received the plaque of recognition for Bulacan conferred by A/Sec Edilberto de Luna and Hon. Cynthia Villar, Senate Committee on Food and Agriculture chairperson in the 2014 Agri-Pinoy Rice Achiever Awards (APRAA) held at the Resorts World Manila yesterday, March 26, 2015.
“Nagpapasalamat tayo sa Panginoon na ang mga paghihirap at pagpupunyagi ng mga Bulakenyo ay kinikilala ng ating national government. Narito na ang ating pag-unlad, kinakailangan lamang ng pagkakaisa, sama-sama nating harapin ang hamon ng kinabukasan para sa kaunlaran. Kung anuman ang maiaambag ng Bulacan, hopefully this will be implicated throughout the country na magiging kalugod-lugod sa ating Panginoon,” Alvarado said.
Winning provinces were selected based on the productivity and efforts of LGU in support to the rice program.
Data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) shows that Bulacan has increased its 2014 production to 368,393 mt from 366,927 mt in 2013 despite the occurrence of calamities and irrigation water shortages. Average yield of 4.47 mt/has in 2013 to 4.49 mt/has in 2014 has also been recorded.
According to the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO), appropriate interventions were provided to farmers like the conduct of Palay Check Farmers’ Field School, provision of small-scale irrigation support (STW/OSP), provision of farm machineries and post-harvest facilities, access to financing (SIKAT SAKA Program) coupled with the provision of inputs like organic fertilizer and locally funded seed subsidy.
Carrillo said that innovations on the promotion of production technologies through School-on-Air program aired over Radyo Bulacan, conduct of “Usapang Palay” using a mobile techno-van, and capability building support to AEWs helped the province reached the top ten.
The province received P4M worth of project intended to enhance the province’s rice productivity.