A total of P62,665,000.00 was granted to 12,533 rice farmers in Capiz under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) of the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA) of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The account was based on the record of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) dated July 21, 2023.
The RCEF-RFFA grants P5,000.00 cash assistance to registered small rice farmers with land that ranges from half, but not exceeding two hectares, to assist them on their production, competitiveness, and income.
The recipients of cash grant came from the towns of Cuartero with 313 rice farmers, 1,545 from Dao, 165 from Ivisan, 623 from Mambusao, 907 from Sigma, 976 from Sapian, 2,935 from Jamindan, 1,287from Dumarao, 1,396 from Dumalag, and 2,386 from Tapaz, which has the highest number of beneficiaries.
Miguel B. Enoslay, a 70-year-old senior citizen who owns half a hectare rice land in Barangay Duyoc in Dao town, said that he will use the money to buy additional seeds and fertilizer for his farm.
Enoslay added that he is grateful to the DA because it was his second time receiving the financial assistance from the agency.
Meanwhile, according to OPA Rice Program Coordinator Cecil Borres, there will be another distribution for the remaining rice farmers in Capiz who did not receive the cash assistance.