• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The “Bigasan ng Bayan” outlet at the Food Terminal Market of Negros Occidental beside the Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City is again selling rice at P25 per kilogram.
Pedro Limpangog, president of the Federation of Irrigators Association of Central Negros-Bago River Irrigation System (FIACN-BRIS), yesterday said they are targeting 470 priority consumers to avail of the low-priced rice.
These include senior citizens, indigents, and persons with disabilities, among other buyers, who can avail up to five kilos only.
Limpagog said the rice being sold were produced by the FIACN-BRIS Southern District, who are planting in the areas of Bago City, Valladolid, Pulupandan, San Enrique and La Carlota City.
Last month, the “Bigasan ng Bayan” outlet sold rice to at least 455 individuals from the harvest of the FIACN-BRIS northern sector.
Limpangog said the proceeds will be used to buy more rice from other rice farmers to be sold at P25 per kilo.
The provincial government tapped the FIACN-BRIS, which is under the National Irrigation Administration-Negros Occidental Irrigation Management Office, for its Dagyaw Project to produce high-yield rice at a lower production cost with the assistance of job order (JO) workers, who are also association members, in planting crops and operating farm machinery.
Limpangog said the JO workers hired by the provincial government to help their members, and the farm equipment extended to them helped a lot in reducing their labor inputs. | GB
