The local government unit here has started selling rice at PHP20 per kg. to vulnerable sectors, in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s promise to provide affordable rice.

Mayor Luz Ponferrada said on Thursday that the local government has partnered with local farmers who availed of free fertilizers to sell their produce to the vulnerable sectors.

“We asked our rice farmers who received free seeds and fertilizers to bring their produce to the local agriculture office for selling to poor families. Our goal is to make cheaper rice available to every household, but our supply now is very limited,” Ponferrada told the Philippine News Agency.

Each farmer who is a recipient of free seeds and a bag of fertilizer was asked to sell two bags of milled rice to the local government for only PHP20 per kg.

Around 300 low-income households have benefited from the program during its initial rollout in Basey, a rice-producing town in the province.

Rice is collected by the local government in farming communities, and they sell the staple food through the Kadiwa ng Pangulo store outside the municipal hall.

Jesus Jabines, municipal agriculture officer, said they also operate a rolling store to serve persons with disabilities and elderly people who are unable to come to the municipal hall grounds.

“Beneficiaries of this affordable rice are identified, and they are given coupons as proof that they are qualified to avail the cheap rice,” Jabines said.

Under the scheme, farmers mill their rice instead of selling palay (unhusked rice) to private traders. The rice is available in Kadiwa stores set up in villages every week.

The local government cut operational expenses by eliminating middlemen and mobilizing volunteers to bring and sell the rice in villages.

He said rice farmers still gain since they get free fertilizer and a high-yielding variety of seeds from the Department of Agriculture.

Each bag of fertilizer costs PHP2,000, while a bag of rice seeds costs nearly PHP1,000. Some farmers get more than one bag of fertilizer and seeds. They also get incentives for production from the Office of the Mayor.

Nanette Baclaocos, 52, of Barangay Palaypay, is grateful that the PHP20 per kg. rice is available for poor families in their town.

Her family consumes one and a half kilos of rice daily.

“Before the rollout of this PHP20 per kilo rice, our budget only allowed us to buy small fish for a side dish. Now, we can afford to buy meat and vegetables,” said Baclaocos, whose husband earns an average of PHP5,000 monthly from farming. (PNA)