The Department of Agriculture in Western Visayas is optimistic that using certified seeds among farming villages will boost the region’s rice yield this year, a government press release said.

Manuel Olanday, the DA's regional Agri-Pinoy Rice program coordinator, said certified seeds have been proven to increase rice yields of farmers in some provinces.

However, he said the DA will soon stop subsidizing the provision of certified seeds to farmers in the country.

Olanday said the DA is training some 187 rice cluster areas in the region to serve as initial sites for the propagation of certified seeds.

The DA is currently helping farmers in Western Visayas to grow and produce high quality seeds for their own use, the press release said.

Olanday said this is necessary so these farming communities will no longer have to rely for certified seeds coming from the DA and national government through the National Food Authority.

He said that this community-based approach will ensure enough supply of certified seeds for farmers to increase their rice production in the cluster areas.

Olanday said in the press release that there are around 40 cluster sites in Aklan, 15 in Antique, 25 in Capiz, 14 in Guimaras, 60 in Iloilo and 33 in Negros Occidental.*

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