SAMAR – The Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office (DA-RFO) VIII, through its Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program, just provided 3,373 bags of certified rice seeds to Northern, Eastern & Western Samar to enhance the rice industry to various identified Local Government Units (LGUs).
The SAAD team first began its distribution to nine municipalities in Western Samar, which are Basey, Jiabong, Motiong, Pinabacdao, Sta. Rita, San Jorge, Gandara, Sta. Margarita, and Calbayog, by positioning the seeds at designated drop-off points that started on September 25 to October 5, 2017. Each of the areas received 90 bags of certified rice seeds
From west, the team went to east to deliver seeds to drop-off points of Eastern Samar, which are Quinapondan (86 bags), Gen. Macarthur (84 bags), Maslog (84 bags), Hernani (84 bags), Balangkayan (84 bags), Dolores (86 bags), Oras (85 bags), San Policarpo (84 bags), Arteche (84 bags) and Jipapad (84 bags).
Meanwhile, a total of 860 bags of certified rice seeds were provided to Northern Samar and dropped off in areas, which are Allen (225 bags), Lapinig (70 bags), Gamay (70 bags), Capul (75 bags), Lavezares (210 bags), Rosario (70 bags) and San Jose (140 bags).
Prior to the distribution, all certified rice seeds were proven viable through the Bureau of Plant Industry – National Seed Quality Control Services’ (BPI-NSQCS) seed germination test, headed by its Regional Chief, Mr. Uldarico C. Amihan.
NEW Samar SAAD team delivered the certified rice seeds ahead of their scheduled date of October 18, 2017. The team completed the distribution on the 10th of October 2017 for the farmer-beneficiaries’ November to March cropping season.
Northern, Eastern & Western Samar are all included in the 2017 priority provinces of the SAAD Program due to their low poverty incidence per family rate based from the 2012 records of the Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA). ###
Writer: Jhomai Canlas, SAAD Communications Officer
