“…rice to be sold at P29 per kilogram soon” – NIA-CAR

La Trinidad, Benguet– The National Irrigation Administration – Cordillera shall sell rice at P29 per kilogram ‘soon’.

The agency targets to sell more or less 1,500 bags of rice during the launching of the Murang Bigas at P29/kg. The date of the launching shall be announced on NIA’s Facebook page.

The rice to be sold shall be packed in a 10-kilogram bag in various KADIWA sites in the region. They shall prioritize buyers who are part of the vulnerable sectors.

These would include individuals who are members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), elderlies, physically challenged individuals, and solo parents.

Said development is made possible with the agency’s partnership with irrigators associations in the region through the implementation of contract farming.

The agency relayed that the first harvest of those who signed for the contract farming last year started coming to their office, thus the decision to do the move.

As explained, the contract farming system is for farmers who are members of Irrigators’ Associations or Irrigation Service Cooperatives.

They will enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the agency. The content of the agreement would be – the NIA CAR shall provide an initial P50,000 worth of farm inputs and cash for a one-hectare field in a cropping season.

When harvest time comes, NIA shall compensate these farmers P50,000 each for 5 tons of fresh palay per hectare.

The palay shall then be milled and sold at KADIWA stores for P29 per kilogram.

The launching of the contract farming system invited 18 irrigators association across the region to sign up particularly those owning 497.08 hectares in Kalinga and Apayao.

Report of the agency said that as of September 5, 41 hectares of said rice fields were already harvested.

Irrigators associations who are still not part of the scheme are now encouraged by the agency to sign up for the program.