WV eyes higher rice prod'n in 2008
Department of Agriculture Regional Executive Director Larry Nacionales said Western Visayas needs to increase its rice production from 2 million metric tons to 2.2 million metric tons for 2008 to address the increasing rice requirement in the entire country.
Nacionales said they are hoping farmers will able to cope with the 2.2 million metric tons target in 2008. Western Visayas being one of the rice producing province needs to help in the country's rice production, said Nacionales. There are areas in the country that do not produce enough rice, he added.
It will be a big challenge on the part of the farmers to increase their production next year. Nacionales noted that in the early part of 2007, from January to April, the rice production in the region suffered a set back. However, it gained later part of the year, from June December rice cropping.
The rice production of the region as of November 15 already reached 1.950 million metric tons. The figure still does not include the forthcoming rice harvest for the month of December.