COTABATO CITY, Aug. 23 (PIA) -- Around 71 farmers from the different municipalities of Maguindanao participated in the first Irrigators Associations (IA) Day on Tuesday, August 20, here.

The activity was spearheaded by the National Irrigation Administration- Maguindanao Irrigation Management Office (NIA-MIMO) in coordination with the Maguindanao Federation of Autonomous Irrigators Association (MAFAIA), Incorporated.

It aimed at updating the farmers of the various rice-sufficiency program of the national government and inform them on the agricultural program of the present Bangsamoro government.

During his opening message, NIA XII Regional Manager Engr. Diosdado Rosales explained to the farmers the components of the P10 billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

"The P10 billion fund is from the tax of imported rice that aims to protect the small farmers," he said adding that the tax will fund trainings for farmers on how to mechanize and produce good seeds as well as provide them with good machinery.

Of the said amount, P5 billion will be given to the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), which will give farmers machines for training. The P3 billion will be allotted to the Philippine Rice Research Institute that will teach farmers to become growers of quality seeds.

"Let's strive to use good quality of seeds, so that our production will increase and decrease the production costs," Rosales stated.

Meanwhile, the P1 billion fund allocation was intended for farmers' loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP).

Rosales also encouraged the farmers to avail of the trainings from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), which will educate the farmers on farm mechanization.

"A P1 billion funding was given to TESDA. I encourage the IAs to cooperate with TESDA for you to become one training school. This is a huge opportunity, once our farmers are well trained, we can decrease more the production costs, by that time we can already compete with other countries' produce," he said.

Rosales is hoping that with the event, everyone could help support the goal of the Bangsamoro government in providing the needs of the people especially the farmers.

On the other hand, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MAFAR-BARMM) Minister Mohammad Yacob cited the objective of the present Bangsamoro government.

"Our objective is to make the government closer to the communities. We will make our farmers and fisher folks proud of themselves because they are the source of our production and they are the ones who should enjoy our resources," he said. (PIA Cotabato City)