Officials of the Department of Agriculture in Calabarzon (DA-4A) are on a tour of the region to enlighten local government leaders on how the administration’s Masagana Rice Industry Development Program can boost rice production in their jurisdictions.

Maricris Ite, Rice Program Coordinator of DA-Calabarzon, told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Tuesday that the program has four components — studying climate change resilience, exercising cost savings and high production practices, learning basic entrepreneurship skills and adopting a timely approach through modern farming technologies.

She said that under Masagana, farmers will benefit from the distributed machinery and equipment through clustering, receiving more intervention and assistance during the planting season such as irrigation support and appropriate fertilizer.

Her office has just completed presentations before key local government unit (LGU) officials in Batangas and Cavite, and more meetings are being scheduled elsewhere in the region.

Ite described Masagana as the “most reinforced program” to support the administration’s vision of substantially raising rice productivity to the point where importation is no longer necessary.

“With the help of the program, it is expected that production will be increased and the country will be self-sufficient in rice by the year 2028,” she said.

Ite revealed that a five-year rice production plan for Cavite is now in the offing as a result of her recently concluded meeting with officials from the province.

Cavite Provincial Administrator Alvin Mojica said the provincial government seeks to put together an effective and feasible plan for making the Batangas self-sufficient in rice. (PNA)