Senator Cynthia Villar told the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday to realign its 2023 proposed budget to support regional field offices’ (RFO) seed production facilities and help farmers instead to produce high-quality seeds.

During a Senate budget hearing presided over by Villar on Monday, Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa presented the DA’s National Rice Program, citing the support to DA-RFO production facilities worth PHP184 million.

“Tanggalin niyo ‘to. Bumili na lang kayo sa farmer. Ba’t niyo pinagpo-produce ang field office ninyo (Remove this. Just buy from the farmers. Why do you make your field offices produce)?” Villar asked the DA.

She suggested that the DA allow farmers cooperatives to produce the seeds.

As a result, the DA’s proposed budget for certified inbred seeds distribution will be increased from PHP700 million to PHP884 million.

“Eh di tinulungan pa natin ‘yung mga coop ng farmers (Now we can help farmer cooperatives) who are producing inbred seeds, diba? Kaysa kayo ang magpo-produce. Mahirap ‘yun (It’s hard to produce seeds),” Villar said.

The DA is proposing to spend PHP27.273 million for production support services out of its PHP30.546 million for the 2023 National Rice Program. (PNA)

Source: http://www.senate.gov.ph