The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is calling on local government units (LGUs) to help sell Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka (BBM) rice to more Filipino consumers.
The BBM rice, sold at PHP29/kg., comes from fresh local harvests of farmer cooperatives under the NIA’s contract farming program.
The cheaper rice is sold to senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents, and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries in select NIA offices nationwide.
The NIA is also supplying to the Department of Agriculture (DA)’s Rice for All program.
“Gusto kong magpatulong ngayon sa ating local government units dahil nakita ko kung paano iyong kagustuhan ng ating mga kababayan na makabili ng mga ito. Eh iyong mga LGUs natin, nasa kanila iyong public market sa buong Pilipinas (I want to ask the help of our local government units because I have seen the desire of our fellow countrymen to avail of this rice. And the public markets in the entire Philippines are under our LGUs),” NIA Administrator Eduardo Guillen said during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing on Tuesday.
“Kapos kasi kami ng tao e, hindi naman namin talaga mandate na magbenta diyan (We are short-staffed and it’s not really in our mandate to sell rice),” he added.
He said a more beneficial setup for consumers would entail NIA’s sale of BBM rice to LGUs.
“Sila naman makipag-MOA (memorandum of agreement) sa cooperatives para lahat ng public markets ma-access po natin iyong murang bigas (They can enter into a MOA with cooperatives so that all public markets can have access to cheaper rice),” Guillen said.
To date, the NIA has sold at least 2 million kilograms of BBM rice nationwide.
Artificial intelligence in farming
Guillen, meanwhile, highlighted the benefits of utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the national irrigation systems of NIA.
He said AI helps the agency strategize productivity efforts by identifying soil distress, interventions needed, type of varieties and inputs needed, and the ideal planting time, among others.
“Nakikita namin kaagad kung saan may problema. And then of course iyong area na iyon, iyon lamang ang lalagyan ng (We can immediately see where’s the problem. And then of course, only in those areas will we put) fertilizer and pesticide, herbicide, hindi buo. Iyon ang magandang naibibigay ng AI natin (and not in the entire production area. That’s the advantage given by AI),” Guillen said.
Earlier, the NIA pushed for the modification of the planting calendar to boost local output and reduce harvest losses due to typhoons from September to October. (PNA)
