The Department of Agriculture began the distribution of Fertilizer Discount Vouchers to registered rice farmers in Catanduanes last week under the National Rice Program (NRP) as well as various interventions through local government units.
DA Regional Executive Director Rodel Tornilla led the ceremonial distribution of the vouchers at the Catanduanes State University (CatSU) gymnasium last Dec. 6, 2021, along with Provincial Administratior Lemuel Surtida who came in lieu of Governor Joseph Cua, Provincial Agriculturist Nelia Teves, CatSU President Patrick Alain Azanza, Camille Andrea Gianan who represented Cong. Hector Sanchez, PBM Giovanni Balmadrid who represented TGP Rep. Jose Teves Jr., and other officials.
About 20 beneficiaries from each of the 11 towns were on hand to receive the vouchers, which are granted to farmers registered in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) who gas availed of the hybrid seeds and inbred seeds of the DA.
Those who availed of the hybrid seeds received a P3,000 fertilizer discount while those who got the inbred seeds were given a P2,000 fertilizer discount.
“To all those farmers who are not yet RSBSA registered, I’m encouraging all farmers to register now to qualify and be able to avail all government interventions especially from the DA,” Dr. Mary Grace Rodriguez, chief of the DA-ROFV Field Operations said in an interview at CatSU.
She added that the activity will continue until all RSBSA-registered farmers are given fertilizer discounts.
Dir. Tornilla also spearheaded the distribution to LGUs of various interventions procured under its Quick Response Fund (QRF) for typhoons Quinta, Rolly and Ulysses which hit the province last year.
Each of the 11 towns received two boxes of foliar fertilizer, a box of plant growth fertilizer, 10 knapsack sprayers, 100 laminated sacks, 50 bags of zinc sulfate, and 50 bags of urea fertilizer.
The provincial government also got two boxes of foliar fertilizer, a box of plant growth fertilizer, five knapsack sprayers and 100 laminated sacks.
In an early Christmas gift to CatSU, the DA regional office donated farm equipment to the university: a portable sprayer, an earth digger, a mini chainsaw and a lawn mower.
Dir. Tornilla said that the equipment are intended mainly for instruction purposes, particularly for the students, or those who are in the agriculture program.
In his remarks, Pres. Azanza assured that the university is always open to the government agencies and to working hand in hand with its leaders to further cater to the needs of the community.