DAVAO CITY: With the successful launch of the "Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka (BBM) Rice" program last month, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) 11 (Davao Region) will once again host the "PHP29 na Bigas sa Kadiwa ng Pangulo" at the Davao del Norte Irrigation Management Office in Carmen town on Oct. 4. In an interview Thursday, engineer Nelson Sahot, acting division manager of NIA-Davao del Norte, encouraged the public, especially vulnerable groups, to visit their office and take advantage of the discounted rice to be sold at the Kadiwa event. 'We will have around 1,400 bags of BBM Rice available for senior citizens, solo parents, persons with disabilities, and members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps),' Sahot said. The rice will be sold in 10 kg. packs at PHP29 per kg., with a limit of 10 kg. per customer, on a first-come, first-served basis. The rice is sourced from a contract farming initiative covering 4.5 hectares of rice fields in Barangay Gabuyan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte. Acr oss the region, 525 hectares are participating in the program. The initiative aims to yield up to five metric tons of rice per hectare. Farmers who achieve this target will receive an additional PHP50,000 in performance incentive. Under the program, NIA provides participating farmers with PHP50,000 worth of farm inputs, including seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, to support their production efforts. Source: Philippines News Agency