THE Department of Agriculture-Davao Region (DA-Davao) announced earlier this week that 58 percent of fertilizer discount vouchers (FDV) had already been distributed to farmers across the region.
During the Usapang Agrikultura segment on Radyo Pilipinas, DA-Davao Agriculturist Officer II Dann Angelo Agulan said that the implementation is still ongoing and several farmers in Davao de Oro and Davao Oriental have already benefited from the agricultural assistance through caravans.
“Padayon gihapon ang implementation sa atong fertilizer voucher. So, kita, naa na ta sa 58 percent and sa ubang mga probinsya, naay nay gipang-schedule nga mga caravans (The implementation of our fertilizer voucher will continue. So, here [in our region], we have already distributed 58 percent and in other provinces, there are already scheduled caravans),” Agulan said.
“So katong wala nakaadto sa caravan, mo-adto sa mga local merchants nato ug makipag-coordinate sa municipal agriculturists (So those who failed to visit the caravan, go to our local merchants and coordinate with the municipal agriculturists),” he added.
The FDV is a government initiative designed to help farmers reduce the cost of fertilizers, which is one of the key inputs in agricultural production. It is given to farmers registered in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).
Eligible farmers receive vouchers amounting to at least P3,400 per hectare which can be used to purchase fertilizers at a discounted rate. The amount of the discount varies, but it is meant to alleviate the burden of rising fertilizer prices, particularly in times of crisis or price hikes.
If the DA-RFO has previously served the targeted priority farmers within their jurisdiction, farmers who have numerous farm locations in different areas are entitled to receive multiple vouchers that will be generated by their respective DA-Regional Field Office. DEF
