Thirteen Lanao del Norte municipalities received 21,499 bags of certified inbred seeds from the Department of Agriculture on Tuesday.

In a statement, the provincial government said it accepted the assistance under the DA’s Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) program.

RCEF aims to increase the adoption of certified seeds (CS) of inbred rice, improve quality, availability of and access to inbred rice CS, and increase the number of farmers’ organizations engaged in seed production and trade.

One of the farmer-beneficiaries was Jerry Enterina of Lala town, who said the seeds would improve their potential earnings, especially with the ongoing dry season.

“We were able to learn about choosing the right seeds for our rice fields so that we can generate better harvest yield,” he said in the vernacular.

RCEF is one of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s main intervention policies in agriculture as the government continues to provide aid to Filipinos amid the effects of the El Niño phenomenon in the country.

It is also part of the Philippine Rice Research Institute and the Provincial Agriculture Office’s intervention projects for farmers. (PNA)