WV posted 2 M metric tons of rice in 2006
Western Visayas posted some two million tons in last year's total rice production output and has contributed 13% in the total rice production yield in the country.
This was disclosed by Regional Director Larry Nacionales of the Department of Agriculture, Region VI, during the PIA Cable television program recently.
He also said that the 2006 production has surpassed the 1.8 million metric tons rice production output of year 2005.
Western Visayas is second only to Central Luzon in rice production output, >Director Nacionales said in the same PIA-CATV program.
Nacionales said that the region has 313,000 hectares of rice land. He noted that the region's good rice production output was contributed by our framers' use of high yielding varieties of rice as “we promote the use of certified seeds and the adoption of new farm technology so as to improve land preparation, and effective practices in pest control.
In a related development, DA Secretary Arthur Yap said that the strong performance of the Philippine agriculture sector in the first eight months of 2006 pulled its growth rate to 3.88% last year, with the fisheries subsector remaining the top gainer, despite the onslaught of five super typhoons during the September-December period.
The secretary noted that despite the damage wrought by five strong typhoons on our farms and fishing areas, the agriculture sector posted a notable 3. 88% growth in 2006, due to the government?s sustained efforts to assist our farmers and fisherfolk in boosting their production and incomes.
The government's firm focus on the agriculture sector is backed by expanding infrastructure, good governance and plow back the gains for social benefit. (T. Villavert/PIA)