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MANILA - Rice farmers who incurred crop damage as a result of last month's monsoon rains and heavy flooding can now tap P100 million in insurance support and seed subsidy to enable them to undertake a third cropping.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said 91,000 rice farmers signified plans to undertake the third cropping between August and September.
The financial support will come from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp.
“This program seeks to assist farmers affected by severe crop damages caused by flooding, typhoon and pests attack,” Alcala said, adding that the assistance would also help attain the government's self-sufficiency target.
Based on the data of the National Irrigation Administration, the program covers a total area of 91,495 hectares.
Lawyer Jovy Bernabe, PCIC president, said the insurance cover is worth P914.9 million, with P98.91 million in premium subsidy to come from the government.
“Under the program, farmer-irrigators who will engage in third cropping will be provided P10,000 per hectare free insurance coverage by the PCIC,” Bernabe said.
Alcala said the Philippines has cut down on imports, with rice purchases from abroad sliding from 860,000 metric tons last year to 500,000 this year.
Assistant Secretary Dante Delima, who is National Rice Program coordinator, said the pilot program for the early cropping in Central Luzon has been completed.
Delima said rice farmers harvested over 350,000 metric tons of palay, up from 150,000 hectares under the early cropping program.
“We have validated that over half of those who participated in the early cropping will be planting their third crop this month,” he added.
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