Some 10,837 rice farmers in Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands provinces have benefited from the Fertilizer Discount Voucher program of the Department of Agriculture in the Caraga Region (DA-13).

In a statement Thursday, the DA-13 said the discount vouchers were distributed to the beneficiaries from Aug. 18 to Sept. 8 in coordination with the local government units.

In Surigao del Norte, a total of 7,919 rice farmers received their fertilizer vouchers during the period, while in Dinagat Islands, some 2,918 farmers also benefited from the program.

“Each voucher is equivalent to PHP1,131 per hectare for farms planted with inbred seeds, and PHP2,262 per hectare for hybrid seeds,” the DA-13 said.

It said the fertilizer vouchers are for rice farmers who are registered under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture and encoded in the National Farmers’ and Fishers’ Online-Registry System or the National Farmers and Fisheries Information System.

“These farmers have already availed of rice seeds from the DA-Caraga Rice Program for the current planting season,” the DA-13 said.

DA-13 chief Ricardo Oñate Jr. said the program is focused on non-Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) areas, such as Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands.

“Our interventions are strategized to optimize the agency’s funds to aid the rice farmers in non-RCEF areas to increase their productivity and ensure food security in their respective provinces,” Oñate said.

Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands are among the rice-producing areas in the Caraga, harvesting 3.36 metric tons and 2.72 metric tons of rice, respectively, in 2021, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Oñate said the agency will continue to provide various support initiatives in non-RCEF provinces in the region for increased rice production this year. (PNA)