LOS ANGELES, Butuan City- A series of three information caravan on Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) recently conducted in the provinces of Agusan del Sur and Agusan del Norte on October 15, 17 and 18, 2019.

It aimed at informing the rice farmers about RCEF, its services and technologies offered at the same time for them to be aware on the procedures of availing the four key programs. This campaign also aimed at providing information about the benefits of the Republic Act (RA) 11203 “An Act Liberalizing the Importation, Exportation and Trading of Rice Lifting for the Purpose of the Quantitative Import Restriction on Rice, and for other Purposes” also known as Rice Tariffication Law.

More than 600 participants comprising rice farmers and Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs) who engaged on irrigated and rainfed inbred rice production in their respective municipality and city joined in the said caravan.

Participating Local Government Units (LGUs) in Agusan del Sur are San Luis, Esperanza and Bayugan City. On the other hand, the LGUs of Cabadbaran City, Kitcharao, RTRomualdez, Buenavista, Las Nieves and Butuan City comprised in Agusan del Norte.

This is in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Caraga along with the Partner Agencies such as Philippine Rice Research Institute-Agusan Experiment Station (PhilRice Agusan), Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Land Bank, National Irrigation Administration (NIA), and National Food Authority (NFA).

Open forum followed right after the presentations wherein participants throw their queries about RCEF to the representatives of the said agencies.

This was spearheaded by the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center (ATI-RTC) 13 through its Information Services Section (ISS) with Section Chief Fil Victor A. Babanto as Project Officer.