South Cotabato to allot Php10 Million to buy palay from farmers

Governor Reynaldo S. Tamayo Jr. announces the plan of the provincial government to buy the harvested palay of South Cotabato farmers at Php19/kilo awaiting the release of the Php10 million from the Supplemental Budget which is set to be approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
Tamayo made the announcement earlier today as one of the remedies for the sudden decrease of palay prices which adversely affected rice farmers in the province during the Orientation on Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) Expanded Survival and Recovery Assistance Program for Rice Farmers (SURE Aid).
“This is by far the highest price for the wet palay in the entire country,” he said,
To ensure that the recipient farmers will benefit from the program, the provincial government will distribute identification cards to each recipient and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist will set the mechanics when and where to buy their fresh palay harvest.
Palay is presently bought at Php12/kilo and this price will continue to decrease if there is no immediate answer to the problem.
Aside from buying at a very reasonable price, Governor Tamayo also welcomes the provision of the SURE Aid program of the ACPC which is the giving of a one-time, zero-interest loan amounting to P15,000 payable up to eight years through the Land Bank of the Philippines.
Earlier today, the LBP together with the OPAG and the DA-12 conducted an orientation to at least 1,055 farmers in South Cotabato who are eligible recipients of the said program.
Tamayo said, while the plan to buy the farmers’ palay production is considered a temporary solution at least it could ease the burden these farmers are facing today.
He added, the permanent solution in order to be free from poverty is to encourage farmers’ children and their grandchildren to have a good education.