Pangasinan sets P50M palay fertilizer subsidy
LINGAYEN–Farmers should expect P1,000 each in fertilizer subsidy this year.
This after the provincial board approved on Monday the appropriation of P50 million as the provincial government’s counterpart fund to the national government’s fertilizer subsidy program.
This amount is double the initial subsidy planned for the year after the national government, through the Department of Agriculture (DA), agreed to increase Pangasinan’s subsidy allocation to P150 million from the original P45 million.
Rafael Baraan, provincial administrator, told board members that the P50 million counterpart subsidy is in support of the DA’s program to increase the country’s palay production.
“If you want to increase productivity you need to complete the fertilizer inputs,” Baraan said.
He said the League of the Provinces expressed support for the subsidy program as presented by Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap two months ago.
There are about180,000 hectares of irrigated land in Pangasinan and another 6,000 rain-fed areas.
Gov. Amado Espino Jr. batted for a higher subsidy for Pangasinan from the national government since it is the third highest rice producers in the country.
The subsidy is expected to be distributed in time for the current cropping season which ends in October.
Baraan said the P150 million from the DA is already available and will be released as soon as the province’s counterpart is approved.
The P50 million provincial counterpart was contained in Appropriation Ordinance Number 2 enacting a supplemental budget worth more than P183 million, which was approved by the provincial board on Monday.
Under the same supplemental budget, provincial officials and employees are also set to receive a 10 percent salary increase effective July 1, which would amount to P18.88 million this year.
The supplemental budget will be sourced from estimated additional income share from utilization of national wealth, unappropriated surplus, reversion of appropriation and proceeds from loan.#
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