Jabonga: Rice farmers in Jabonga, Agusan del Norte, secured higher prices for their fresh palay harvest through the implementation of Republic Act No. 11321, also known as the Sagip Saka Act.

According to Philippines News Agency, during their first cropping this year, the Beleguian Organic Farmers Irrigators Association (BOFIA) procured more than 12,000 bags of fresh palay from local farmers, using funds allocated under the Sagip Saka program. The BOFIA, a local farmers' association in Jabonga, secured over PHP10 million in loans from Sagip Saka through the provincial government of Agusan del Norte for palay procurement in the town.

"We started to buy fresh palay during the last week of July at PHP24 to PHP25 per kilo. Our procurement is higher compared with the prices of private traders that range from PHP18 to PHP19 per kilo," said BOFIA President Wenifredo Maldo in an interview on Friday. After the drying process, the procured fresh palay was milled in the milling facility of BOFIA, he added.

"We started the delivery of well-milled rice to the local government units of Jabonga and Santiago on Thursday," Maldo said. As of Friday, he noted that their organization has already delivered 3,495 bags of well-milled rice to said LGUs.

In a separate statement, Benjie Villaruben, officer-in-charge of the agriculture office in Agusan del Norte, said the provincial government has allocated PHP49 million for the procurement of well-milled rice under the Bagong Pilipinas Rice Program. The well-milled rice will be procured from different farmers' cooperatives and associations in the province, including the BOFIA.

"The provincial government has regular needs for well-milled rice for the provincial jail, disaster response operations, and the social welfare and development programs," Villaruben said. The Department of Agriculture in the Caraga Region (DA-13) on Friday lauded the success of the procurement and delivery operations of BOFIA under the Sagip Saka.

"The success of BOFIA proves that through strong unity among farmers and the continued support of the government, the market for local products can be expanded, farmers' income can be increased, and community food security can be strengthened," DA-13 said.