Negros Occidental is one of the 16 provinces evaluated by the Department of Agriculture national office for the top 10 provinces in the Agri-Pinoy Rice Achiever’s Award along with Larry Nacionales, DA-VI director said yesterday.

Nacionales said Negros Occidental and Iloilo are the representatives of Western Visayas for the Award.

Moises Padilla town also qualified for the top 50 municipalities and cities in the same award, along with three agricultural extension workers from Kabankalan City, San Carlos City, and Moises Padilla, he said.

The AEWs are Melba Bañares of Kabankalan, Marianita Latoza of San Carlos, and Ramonita Ronquillo of Moises Padilla.

Winners of the award will have an additional P5 million budget for DA projects for the province, P1million for the winning LGU, and P20,000 for the AEWs.

The award aims to identify and recognize top performing local government units in the rice industry, sustain awareness and commitment of LGUs to the rice self-sufficiency program of DA and to attain national rice self-sufficiency, Nacionales also said.

Based on the report of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, Negros Occidental was 96 percent sufficient in rice production as of last year.

Edna Garde, manager of the Farmers Information and Technology Services Center said the growth of the rice sufficiency level is credited to all local farmers who applied their knowledge and technology in rice farming and the thrust of Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. for food security.*LTG

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