THE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture (DA) is planning to open more rice plantations in the island of Samar, citing that the area is less stricken by typhoons, and has enough land area to help compensate losses experienced in the northern and central parts of Luzon.
In a statement on Monday, DA Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said, “With a total land area of 1.3-million hectares with an agricultural area of 526,000 hectares, numerous huge rivers and less typhoons hitting it now, Samar has been identified as the expansion area for rice production.”
Samar is divided into three provinces, namely: Samar (formerly Western Samar), Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar.
The island, said Mr. Piñol, “is now the focus of interventions by the Department of Agriculture as it aims to open up new rice production.”
Mr. Piñol said Samar is one of the many areas in the central and southern parts of the country being eyed for the DA’s rice development program, along with the islands of Leyte, Negros, Panay, and Mindoro, the provinces of Bohol and Palawan, and Mindanao.
“The DA has already introduced high yielding varieties by conducting a rice derby last year. Three varieties, one of which yielded almost 10 metric tons (MT), have been identified as recommended varieties,” Mr. Piñol said.
However, he noted, there are few farm equipment in Samar.
The agriculture chief said he already has instructed DA Region VIII (Eastern Visayas) Acting Director Andrew Rodolfo T. Orais to gather young agriculture graduates and organize them into service provider groups.
“They could be trained to operate the machinery and equipment which could be loaned to them payable in 8 years with 2% interest per year,” Mr. Piñol said, noting that he hopes to see yields of up to eight MT per hectare with the use of tractors, transplanters and harvesters in the field.
“Samar proves to be the most challenging area because of the primitive farming system still embraced by farmers,” Mr. Piñol said. — Reicelene Joy N. Ignacio

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR