DA hikes Iloilo's rice budget

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is allocating an additional P82.5 million to further boost rice production in Iloilo, the country's fifth biggest rice producer, by expanding planted hybrid rice in the province.

- By JASPER EMMANUEL ARCALAS

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said he has approved the additional funding to help farmers in Iloilo increase their income and contribute further in ensuring the country's food security.

"The Marcos administration is fully committed to helping millions of Filipinos who depend on agriculture reap the benefits of their hard work," Tiu Laurel said yesterday.

The additional budget, the DA said, would allow its Regional Field Office VI to cover 16,500 hectares more for hybrid rice production, increasing the area planted in the province by more than 50 percent from the earlier recorded hectarage of 30,000 hectares in the dry season.