PILI, Camarines Sur (11 May) -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) in Bikol will give fuel subsidy of 40 liters per hectare, diesel or gasoline, up to a maximum of three hectares to all rice farmers using shallow tube well (STW) irrigation and/or open source of irrigation water.
This was bared yesterday by DA Bicol Regional Executive Director Marilyn V. Sta Catalina who also said that the purpose of the fuel subsidy program is to minimize production losses brought about by the El Niño phenomenon.
The Bikol region, according to the lady director, is still experiencing the adverse impacts of the said weather disturbance which severely affecting rice production areas.
Sta Catalina said that 8,192 farmers were affected in 44 municipalities with an estimated area damaged of 8,918 hectares and a volume of production losses of about 21,503 metric tons valued at P230 million.
On his part, Eduardo L. Lomerio, OIC-Regional Technical Director for Operations and Regulatory said that for the rice farmers to avail of the fuel subsidy, they must have: 1) standing crop at reproductive stage; 2) have an existing functional STW and; 3) have source of irrigation water (open source or open drill).
Lomerio said that the farmers "should buy first the needed fuel (diesel or gasoline) for their irrigation and submit reimbursement claims to their local government unit (LGU) through the municipal agricultural office (MAO)". (JENNIS I. NIDEA)