P5K Cash Aid For Small Rice Farmers, DA Chief Says It’s Ongoing

Small rice farmers to receive P5K cash aid

P5K Cash Aid – The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to provide cash assistance to small rice farmers worth P5,000.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar said in a radio interview on Monday that rice farmers who are tilling less than a hectare of land will be beneficiaries of the said project from the government amid the enhanced community quarantine.

Based on the report from GMA News Online, 591,246 rice farmers in 34 provinces will receive P5,000 financial subsidy. This will be done through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

“Ongoing na itong ayuda na ito,” the secretary said. He also said that farmers of other crops will also receive cash aid from the government and this range from P5,000 to P8,000.

According to Dar, “‘Yung iba po, below the poverty threshold, poorest of the poor, kahit ano ka pa basta bukod dito sa 591,246 ay kasama po sila sa social amelioration program ng gobyerno.”

He added that fishermen, coconut farmers, and upland farmers should be included in the list of barangay captain and (Department of Social Welfare and Development) DSWD’s beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP). Dar said that inter-agency coordination will prevent the duplication of assistance.

“Mayroon kaming ugnayan ng DSWD na walang duplication. We are exchanging lists. Bibigyan namin ng listahan ‘yung mga bangko na sakop nitong mga probinsya o munisipyo,” the Agriculture Secretary said.

Based on the report, the DA has already given unconditional cash aid to small rice farmers worth P5,000 towards the end of 2019. These farmers suffered financially from the drop in the palay prices after the administration implemented the Rice Tariffication Law.

With this, the quantitative restrictions on rice imports were removed. Furthermore, a 35% tariff for shipments from Southeast Asia was set.

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