Senior citizens, persons with disability, and solo parents availed of cheap rice sold at PHP29 per kilogram during the grand launching of the Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka (BBM) Rice held at the National Irrigation Administration compound in San Nicolas town, Ilocos Norte province on Friday.

“Maraming salamat Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. sa inyong pagmamahal sa Region 1 lalong-lalo na sa bayan namin sa San Nicolas (Thank you, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for your love to Region 1 especially my town in San Nicolas),” said Violeta Pasion, a resident of the town’s Barangay 18 Bingao.

The low-priced grains were sourced from the National Irrigation Administration’s (NIA) contract farming with irrigators’ association members in the province.

Along with Pasion, Epifania Aliado, 81, and Erlina Deus, 78, also from San Nicolas town, showed their identification cards as senior citizens to the NIA personnel to avail of the PHP29 per kilo rice.

“This is a big help for us. I hope they will continue to sell cheap rice as we have been buying our rice supply from rice traders at prices ranging from PHP52 to PHP60 per kilo,” said Aliado.

The selling of cheap rice in the province is part of the government’s pilot program on contract farming which subsidized the farm inputs and farm machinery of farmers to lower the price of the grains sold to consumers.

Engr. Joselito De Vera, acting division manager of the Ilocos Norte Irrigation Management Office, said in an interview on Friday that Ilocos Norte has a total of 901 hectares dedicated for contract farming.

“This enabled us to secure five tons of rice which we have started to sell to the vulnerable sector until the supply lasts,” said De Vera.

Under the initial contract farming agreement with the irrigators’ associations, NIA will purchase 50 percent of their produce to be sold to vulnerable groups such as senior citizens, PWDs, and solo parents.

The remaining 50 percent will be left at the discretion of the farmers, who may sell it to private traders at competitive prices of up to PHP35 per kilo, which is still cheaper than the prevailing market price.

De Vera said more areas are being considered for the expansion of contract farming in the next planting season to sustain the production of low-priced grains.

To reach out to more vulnerable groups targeted under this pilot rice program, Rhoda Galban, chief of the agribusiness and marketing division of the Department of Agriculture, said the cheap rice will soon be available in Kadiwa rolling stores across Ilocos region.

“This is just the beginning of having better access to quality and affordable rice. We have established Kadiwa sites and rolling stores where people can buy cheaper goods,” she said. (PNA)