The Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) has distributed 670,275 sacks of Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) certified seeds for this year’s wet season to farmers across the Visayas.
“The RCEF seed distribution in Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and the Negros Island Region for the 2026 wet season has officially wrapped up,” the DA-PhilRice Negros Station, based in Murcia, Negros Occidental, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday, August 26.
The 2026 wet season covers March to September.
Based on the Aug. 16 data from the rice seed monitoring system, the total distributed sacks of 20-kg. certified rice seeds were received by 248,415 qualified rice farmers in 219 municipalities and cities in the three regions.
Western Visayas, which has estimated area planted of 140,709 hectares, availed of the bulk of the RCEF certified rice seeds supply at 522,476 bags for 171,619 farmers.
They are from 101 cities and municipalities in Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, and Iloilo.
Rice varieties distributed include the NSIC Rc 216, NSIC Rc 480, NSIC Rc 440, NSIC Rc 222, NSIC Rc 402, and NSIC Rc 622.
In Negros Island Region, 108,775 20-kg. bags of certified seeds were distributed to 50,444 farmers, tilling about 41,564 hectares in 58 cities and municipalities across Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.
The rice varieties are the NSIC Rc 216, NSIC Rc 628, NSIC Rc 442, NSIC Rc 402, NSIC Rc 218, and PSB Rc 18.
About 26,352 farmers received 39,024 20-kg. bags of certified seeds in Central Visayas, covering 14,336 hectares in 60 cities and municipalities in Cebu and Bohol.
They availed of the varieties PSB Rc 18, NSIC Rc 222, NSIC Rc 628, NSIC Rc 480, NSIC Rc 216, and NSIC Rc 160.
The Rice Tariffication Law created the RCEF to help rice farmers prosper and become globally competitive, aiming to increase yield, lower production costs, reduce postharvest losses, and trim down marketing costs.
Under the program, the DA-PhilRice is mandated to develop, propagate, and promote high-quality inbred rice seeds nationwide and co-implement the Rice Extension Services Program.*PNA
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