Farmers’ group sells rice to Negrenses at P25 per kilo
THE National Irrigation Administration (NIA)’s Federation of Irrigators Association of Central Negros-Bago River Irrigation System (FIACN-BRIS) has sold rice for P25 per kilo during the opening day of “Bigas ng Bayan” at the Food Terminal Market in North Capitol Road, Bacolod City.
According to NIA Region VI acting manager Jonel Borres, the P25 per kilo price was made possible through the convergence of all sectors of society, in partnership with the provincial government of Negros Occidental, which opened up the “Bigas ng Bayan” Thursday.
He pointed out that the FIACN-BRIS led by Federation president Pedro Limpangog, allotted the 10 percent of their total production to the Negrenses at the said price that can be availed up to 5 kilos per consumer only.
At least 455 individuals had availed of the low-priced rice on its opening day, where senior citizens, indigents and persons with disabilities (PWDs) were on top of the priorities.
Prior to this, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson tapped the FIACN-BRIS in its Dagyaw Project, an initiative that promotes farm-level productivity interventions.
They produced high-yield rice at a lower production cost with the aid of Job Order (JO) workers, who are also Irrigators Association (IA) members, in farming activities such as planting crops and running farm equipment and machinery.
With President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directives for “cooperation, collaboration, and convergence,” NIA acting administrator Eddie Guillen has boosted the agency’s partnerships with different national government agencies (NGAs), local government units (LGUs), and private sector to ensure food security and agricultural productivity despite agricultural challenges and threats such as El Niño.
The combined efforts and initiatives of the FIACN-BRIS, provincial and local government units, and the NIA are a testament to the PBBM administration’s vision of combating hunger and poverty and achieving food sufficiency and security across the country.
NIA continues its commitment in developing efficient and sustainable irrigation systems to uplift the lives of the Filipino farmers with the aim of propelling wealth creation opportunities in the agricultural sector.
