Solon calls farmers to plant more in order
To resolve the rice crisis
By EDMUND B. SESTOSO
Negros Oriental 2nd District Rep. George Arnaiz has urged the farmers in the province to plant more rice including other crops to mitigate and resolve the raging crisis in rice.
Rep. Arnaiz made the call during an interview with the members of the media during the Negros Oriental leg of the 2008 Information Caravan and Consultative Forum of the Department of Agriculture last Thursday held at one of the hotels in Dumaguete City .
Participants to the consultation included local chief executives of the different towns and cities of the province, local legislators who handles agriculture and food committees in their respective Sanggunians.
The solon reiterated that there was indeed a rice crisis and has not yet been over, however he said there was no shortage but only on prices.
He explained that the rising prices of commercial rice has brought both the lowly and the middle class to line up at the NFA outlets due to its still affordable price compared to the commercial rice.
He said that it was indeed good for the Negros people because there are many still considered as corn eaters compared to other areas in the country.
It was the main reason whty Rep. Arnaiz has called on the farmers to intensify the planting of not only rice but also corn and other root crops.
During the consultation forum, NFA provincial manager Gil Ibarra has delivered a talk and provided the participants with the rice and corn supply situation in the province.
He admitted that government grain procurement agency cannot supply the whole requirement of the consumers as far as rice and corn supply is concerned.
He said the mandate of the grains agency is to just fill in the deficiency and in fact they are also mandated to maintain a 90 days stock inventory and 30 days stock reserve starting on lean montsh which is June, july and August.
Harvest time takes its starting point by September onwards.
The solon believes that while there might be some hoarding that was done by businessmen,hut this will not take long and will yield in to the consumers after several months.
He said that the same could not be stored for a period of one year as this will just rot in their respective bodegas.
The solon said that he encouraged the farmers to plant more corn in available spaces that can be planted to.
“Ato silang giawhag nga kung mahimo kung dunay mga bakante tamnan nato ug mais aron makahaganhagan sa krisis sa bugas” the solon stressed in the same media interview.
He said that one thing good for the corn planting is that it no longer needs an irrigation.
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Sun Jun 08, 2008 8:20 pm