Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson assured Negrenses that "Wala Gutom sa Negros," emphasizing that the province is 84 to 86% rice-sufficient.
Lacson made this statement during the "Binhi sang Probinsiya" Rice Seeds Distribution event held at the Capitol Grounds on Wednesday.
He noted that local rice farmers currently produce an average of four metric tons per hectare and encouraged them to increase production to six metric tons per hectare.
Despite the dry spell caused by the El Niño phenomenon last year, Lacson reported that irrigators in Bago City had minimal drops in production and even saw a slight increase. In general, he said, the province's food security is in good standing.
Lacson assured that with the province's continued support, local farmers would be able to increase their production even further.
The rice seed distribution was part of the Farmer Entrepreneurship Program (FEP), an initiative under the Gender and Development (GAD) Program. The FEP provides financial support and marketing capital to qualified farmers, with a focus on empowering them, particularly women, by strengthening their entrepreneurial skills, improving their access to resources, and enhancing their ability to market agricultural products.
The program seeks to create a sustainable and equitable environment for farmers and farmer associations to thrive, boosting income while promoting gender equality in agriculture. By offering financial assistance for marketing and business development, the FEP helps farmers scale their operations, build capacity, and establish better market linkages.
Last year, two farmers’ associations were selected as beneficiaries of the FEP. Each association will receive financial capital amounting to P250,000 under the 2024 GAD Budget to improve their marketing strategies, distribution of agricultural products, and profitability. The selected associations are the AMIA Village Organic Farmers Association (AVOFA), with a project titled "Agri-Products Consolidation and Marketing Enterprise," and the Tampalon Rainfed Upland Farmers Association (TRUFA), with a project titled "Palay Buying and Rice Retailing." Both associations were selected based on their strong community impact, commitment to gender equality, and potential for growth within the agricultural sector.
