DA's Quick Recovery Program to be launched in Pangasinan

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Nov. 21 (PNA) -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to implement its Quick Recovery Program (QRP) in Pangasinan to help farmers affected by the onslaught of typhoon Pepeng.

DA Regional Director Cipriano Santiago said QRP includes provision of hybrid and certified rice seeds to farmers whose rice fields have been submerged by the flood.

Provincial Agriculture officer Dalisay Moya hailed the program, saying that the farmers badly needed the hybrid and certified rice seeds so that they can replant their farms and partly recoup their losses.

Santiago told the provincial board that the farmers in areas that were partially damaged by the recent flood but with chance of recovery as certified by the municipal or city agriculturist and validated by the DA-Regional Field Unit will plant rice during the dry season.

They will receive P600 as seed subsidy per hectare, plus the regular seed subsidy of P600 per hectare for certified seeds, and P1,000 per hectare for hybrid rice seeds.

According to Santiago, farmers whose rice fields have no chance of recovery or totally damaged and will plant this dry cropping season will receive a seed subsidy worth P1,200 per hectare, and a subsidy worth P1,200 per hectare if they opt to plant hybrid rice.

These farmers will receive fertilizer subsidy worth P5,050 per hectare, consisting of two bags of urea and three bags of complete fertilizer.