A total of 77,052 beneficiaries from 57 provinces benefited from the knowledge gained from training and other capability-enhancement initiatives of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund - Rice Extension Services Program (RCEF-RESP) in 2021.

The government has to date provided more than PHP 100 billion in assistance to rice farmers estimated at PHP 34 billion, and PHP 72 billion worth of savings for consumers due to lower rice retail prices.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar said since August 2019, the Duterte administration has provided rice farmers more than PHP 34 billion worth of assistance to rice farmers aimed at increasing their farm productivity and incomes, broken down as:

DILIMAN, Quezon City—Marking his first anniversary in office, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar addressed the nation with his State of the Philippine Agriculture Report.

Dar emphasized the plans and strategies on the implementation of different programs for the sector. These include modernization which aims for the utilization and promotion of new and appropriate technologies in farming and fisheries.

With quarantine and social distancing protocols in place, the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) is now offering distance learning platforms as it continues its training programs for rice farmers under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

In celebration of the first year anniversary of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), Agriculture Secretary William Dar led the ceremonial harvesting using a combine harvester in a farmer’s one-hectare farmlot planted with certified seeds from Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF)-Seed Program on March 5, 2020, in Manaoag, Pangasinan.

With the implementation of the law on tariff, RCEF was created to enhance the productivity and competitiveness through the provision of quality seeds, farm machinery, credit, and extension services.

Filipino families are reaping the initial benefits of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) as more rice grades become available and affordable to different segments of the society.

“The RTL has not only significantly reduced rice prices in retail markets, but also provided consumers several types or grades of rice to choose from,” said Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar. “

The rice market segmentation is a very important outcome of the RTL with regards to rice prices. It only means that consumers have a choice depending on their preference and what they can afford,” he said.