To boost local grain production and address seed shortages, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson turned over ₱2.4 million worth of high-quality rice seeds and fertilizers at the Provincial Capitol on Tuesday morning, October 21.
The distribution was carried out through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist under the province’s flagship “Binhi Sang Probinsya” program.
Representatives from 12 farmers’ associations in six cities and municipalities received bags of registered rice seeds, fertilizers, biofertilizers, and crop protection formulations designed to support localized seed production.
Lacson emphasized that the program enables participating associations to produce quality inbred seeds, which can be harvested and shared with other farmers after four months.
“The goal is to address the shortage of quality seeds by empowering farmers’ associations to produce and store their own reserves,” Lacson said, expressing confidence in the program’s long-term sustainability due to strong local participation.
He added that the seeds were strategically distributed to associations with access to reliable irrigation, ensuring guaranteed yields for future planting cycles.
During the turnover, Lacson reiterated his challenge for local farmers to raise average production from four metric tons to six metric tons per hectare.
“I hope we can meet that target by the time I step down,” he said.
OIC Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Dina A. Genzola noted that the program is anchored on the Abanse Negrense Development Agenda, focusing on agricultural competitiveness and food security. She stated that the beneficiaries were carefully selected and trained from a pool of approximately 64,000 rice farmers across the province.
Expressing gratitude on behalf of the beneficiaries, Vicente Talaver, chairman of the Barangay Sibucao Farmer Association (BSFA) in San Enrique, said the assistance would provide member-farmers with reliable access to high-grade seeds and significantly strengthen their local operations.*
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