By Manny Piñol
Bago City, Negros Occidental- A proposed tri-partite agreement between the Department of Agriculture, the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental and a Farmers’ Cooperative could make this province the first area to implement the Bigas ng Masa Program which will sell commercial rice at less than P40 per kilo.
Following a quick weekend visit I made to the Bago City Rice Processing Complex here, I conveyed to Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino my plan of maximizing the utilization of the RPC by turning it over to a farmers’ cooperative.
The establishment of the Bago City RPC was funded by the DA during the previous administration in the amount of P25-M with a provincial counterpart of P35-M in 2012.
After its ceremonial opening by then President Benigno Aquino III, the facility was left idle for 5 years.
It was only when I issued a warning that the DA, under President Duterte, will take back the Bago City RPC if it is not made useful, did the facility become operational.
Today, the Bago City RPC is being operated by the provincial government as an economic enterprise.
In the proosal I gave to the provincial government through Atty. Masculino, the operation of the RPC be turned over to a farmers cooperative which will be given a P20-M loan by the DA Agricultural Credit Policy Council so they could provide their members production loans under the Production Loan Easy Access Program.
Another P20-M will be loaned out to the cooperative by the DA ACPC to be used in buying the produce of its members.
The produce will be milled in the RPC and the rice will be sold in the Bigas ng Masa outlets to be established by the provincial government in all towns and other population centers in Negros Occidental.
Under this program, rice will be sold at less than P40 per kilo.
Atty. Masculino said he will draft the Memorandum of Agreement which he will submit to Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. who in turn is expected to refer it to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for approval.
The Bigas ng Masa program is part of the DA TienDA advocacy which aims to link farmers directly with consumers.
The strategy is expected to increase farmers income and bring down the price of food commodities in the market.
(Photos by Bong Piñol)
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