Without seed subsidy program DA to miss target

THIS REFERS to the news story titled “PH may exceed target rice yield.” (Inquirer, 6/20/11)

How could the Department of Agriculture possibly attain this objective when in October 2010, it stopped its certified rice seeds subsidy program? The program sells certified seeds to farmers at a subsidized price of P600/40 kg. (A 40-kg bag of certified rice seeds costs P1,200.)

Due to the suspension of the certified rice seeds subsidy program, farmers are now forced to plant seeds gathered from their harvest last February 2011, which is considered as “good seed.” But by not using certified seeds, farmers’ yield may decrease by 10 to 15 percent. Ask any agriculturist in the department and he/she will agree with this view.

We are still hoping for the DA to resume the implementation of the certified rice seeds subsidy program, for the sake of rice farmers who badly need government support.

—NOEL L. VILLANUEVA,

mayor, Concepcion, Tarlac