Some PHP147.64 million in cash aid has been allotted for rice farmers in Negros Occidental under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA) program of the Department of Agriculture.

The beneficiaries include 29,528 farmers who are given financial assistance of PHP5,000 each.

As of Thursday, among the local government units (LGUs) that have already received the assistance are Kabankalan City with 6,566 eligible rice farmers, getting PHP32.83 million; Bago City, 4,279 farmers, PHP21.39 million; Sagay City, 1,098 farmers, PHP5.49 million; Sipalay City, 2,066 farmers, PHP10.33 million; and La Castellana, 1,165 farmers, PHP5.825 million.

“The cash assistance will help augment their income affected by the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law. They cannot compete with imported rice and one way to help them is to give them financial assistance,” said Marvin John Blance, city agriculturist-designate of Bago City, the top rice-producing LGU in Negros Occidental and Western Visayas.

Sagay City agriculturist Julie Delima said the financial aid can help the farmers in buying fertilizers for their rice farms.

Each of the farmers received the amount, which is under the RFFA funding for 2021, through the cash cards issued by the Land Bank of the Philippines.

The cash assistance is being distributed as temporary relief for the income loss experienced by the farmers due to the implementation of tariffication and the removal of quantitative import restrictions on rice throughout the implementation of Republic Act 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law.

Eligible to receive the direct and unconditional cash assistance are smallholder rice farmers tilling rice lands of two hectares and below. (PNA)