BANGUED, Abra (PIA) — A total of 13,520 farmers in the province of Abra received cash assistance amounting to P67.7 Million under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) of the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA) Program of the Department of Agriculture.

The RCEF-RFFA provides P5, 000 cash assistance to RSBSA registered small rice farmers with land not exceeding two hectares to capacitate them on production, competitiveness, and profit.

This was reported by the Agriculture Program Coordinating Office (APCO) of Abra during their provincial coordination meeting with municipal agriculturists, some local chief executives, and the Sangguniang Bayan Agriculture Committee.

Agriculture Program Coordinating Officer Dr. Rosemarie Tesoro also reported other developments in the agriculture sector in Abra.

Under the Production Support Services, DA distributed 15,505 packs of hybrid seeds; 16,571 bags of inbred seeds; 162 bags of yellow corn; 59,500 doses of various veterinary drugs and biologics; 450 heads of piglets; 157 kilos of vegetable seeds; 200 liters of liquid soil ameliorants; 10,000 kilos of flower inducer; more than 2,000 kilos of organic fertilizers and 130 incentives for Agriculture Extension Workers.

Six  farmers’ cooperative-associations from Bangued, Lagayan, Langiden, Villaviciosa and San Isidro benefitted under the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) program.

APCO also reported that for 2023, P48M was budgeted for farm to market roads in the province. (JDP/CAGT – PIA CAR, Abra) 
(CHRISTIAN ALLISTER TUBADEZA, PIA)