THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is gunning for a 5-percent to 6-percent growth in rice production for 2008 on the back of the expansion in irrigated areas and farmlands planted to palay.

Frisco Malabanan, director of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) Rice Program, said in an interview that the growth target is feasible, especially if the DA will be given the budget it has requested for the rice program. The DA requested P2.6 billion to fund the rice program this year.

“We’re looking at sustaining the 5-percent to 6-percent growth in rice production for this year. The major sources of growth will be the expansion in irrigated areas and the increase in farmlands planted to hybrid rice,” said Malabanan.

He said the DA is eyeing to plant hybrid rice in 350,000 to 4000,000 hectares of farmlands. The DA official said he is confident that irrigated areas will increase this year as the government continues to undertake the repair and maintenance of irrigation facilities all over the country.

Malaban said production support will continue to play a crucial role in ensuring that local rice farmers will be able to produce enough rice for 2008.

“There is still a need to provide the subsidy, especially to farmers planting hybrid rice, to boost their productivity and improve the chances of the Philippines in attaining ‘rice self-sufficiency,’” he said.

He noted that other countries in Asia like Malaysia have begun to offer more subsidies to their farmers to encourage them to grow more rice.

Malaban said it is crucial for the Philippines to aim for self-sufficiency in rice production in the light of the tightening of supply of  the commodity in the international market.

“There are reports that India may no longer export, and Vietnam has started to turn down buyers [of imported rice]. Even if we have the money, the supply will really be problematic,” he said.

Meanwhile, the DA expressed confidence that the local rice sector was able to achieve the government’s target of producing more than 16 million metric tons of palay.

“I’m very optimistic [that the target was achieved] because the country was not hit by a storm before 2007 ended,” he said.

THE government will focus its investment road shows in the region as “it is where the money is right now” and also to save on cost this year.

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is gunning for a 5-percent to 6-percent growth in rice production for 2008 on the back of the expansion in irrigated areas and farmlands planted to palay.

THE Development Bank of the Philippines is ready to offer a special hedge fund for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) that would protect their dollar remittances from a strengthening peso over a specified period of time, Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said Thursday.

THE head of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Region 7, Alex Leyson, was relieved by Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza pending investigation into smuggled luxury and sports cars.

MUNICIPAL fishermen in Cebu who severely suffered economic dislocation because of the oil and gas exploration at the Tañon Strait may not get any compensation, a nongovernment fisheries organization warned.

DAVAO CITY—Government and tourism industry players should drum up more attractions and create more festivities to serve as toppings to its durable attraction of cheap and fresh food and other existing amenities of travel.