DA to distribute P5K cash aid to farmers amid health crisis

FILE: AGRICULTURE OPTIMISM. Agriculture Secretary William Dar reports on Thursday (Dec. 19, 2019). (PNA photo by Ben Briones).

MANILA — The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Sunday said it will distribute PHP5,000 cash subsidy to 600,000 rice farmers to help augment their needs amid the enhanced community quarantine.

“Our rice farmers will receive it as a direct cash transfer that they can use to buy either farm inputs, food for their families or anything they need,” Agriculture Secretary William Dar said in a press release.

Dubbed as the Financial Subsidy to Rice Farmers (FSRF), the PHP5,000 cash subsidy is part of the DA’s initiatives to assist small rice farmers, who plant one hectare or less, located in 24 provinces not covered under the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA) program.

The PHP3-billion FSRF fund is earmarked under the 2020 General Appropriations Act.

“The FSRF is another intervention to further support our farmers who are experiencing the effects of the quarantine measures due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” Dar said.

The DA, through the Land Bank of the Philippines, will start distributing this week the PHP5,000 FSRF cash subsidy to 600,000 farmers.

An earlier batch of 600,000 farmers, tilling up to two hectares, continues to receive PHP5,000 each under the RFFA.

“We vow to continue helping our small rice farmers, by implementing not only the FSRF and RFFA, but also other major programs such as the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), the SURE Aid loan assistance program, and continuous palay-buying through the National Food Authority — to boost farmers’ productivity and incomes,” Dar said.