DIGOS CITY, Davao del Sur - About 600 vulnerable residents here availed of rice for just PHP29 per kilogram under the Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka (BBM) Rice program on Monday. The beneficiaries included members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and senior citizens. 'The Department of Social Welfare and Development provided us with the list. We aim to sell rice at least three times a week,' Benjie Nierre, operation and maintenance unit head of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) - Davao del Sur Irrigation Management Office, said in an interview. NIA-Davao del Sur plans to sell around 3,000 bags containing 10kg each across the province. The rice supply is sourced from a contract farming initiative spanning 16.9 hectares in Hagonoy town. Currently, the contract farming area covers about 20 hectares in the province. Nierre said they expect to harvest some 100 metric tons (MT) and aim to expand the program to 250 hectares by 2025. Contract farming has the potential to produce up to fiv e MT of rice per hectare, with farmers who meet the target to receive an additional PHP50,000 in performance incentives. NIA provides participating farmers with PHP50,000 worth of farm inputs, such as seeds, fertilizers and pesticides. 'We've received strong interest from farmers and irrigators' associations wanting to join the program. The response so far has been encouraging,' Nierre said. One of the beneficiaries, 66-year-old Danilo Rasura from Barangay Kiagot, expressed gratitude for the program. "Thank you for the affordable rice, President Marcos. It will greatly help those of us in the vulnerable sector," he said. Source: Philippines News Agency