City of San Fernando—The regional office of the Department of Agriculture has embarked on a marketing strategy aimed at increasing the level of awareness among farmers in Central Luzon to cultivate local and buy local agricultural products to support the economy amidst pandemic.
DA3 Officer-in-Charge regional director Crispulo Bautista Jr., said the project is part of the National Rice Awareness Month, in which the objective is to improve rice production and abundant harvest by farmers in the region.
Bautista encouraged local government units (LGUs) to support the program by informing the public of the present DA thrust. He said local executives must lead in promoting locally grown agricultural produce to help alleviate the lives of farmers.
“Grow local, buy local, eat local,” is not only a marketing strategy but also to improve the production and quality of rice produce by our farmers in Central Luzon.” said Bautista in a press statement.
Through this, Bautista said DA would like to solicit the support of local government units and other institutions to local farmers especially in buying their harvests as a reasonable price.
“At the same time, we want to call on the public to patronize our locally produced rice over imported ones,” he said, as he urged the public to also share in the RICEponsibility program by valuing every grain of rice and eating healthier rice to benefit themselves, other consumers, rice farmers, and the country as a whole.
Bautista said the annual month-long event is DA’s advocacy for farmers to engage in high yield-enhancing and cost-reducing technologies in order to optimize their farm produce.
Menawhile, Rice Program Coordinator Lowell Rebillaco presented the month-long celebration activities including poster making contest, webinar on rice resiliency project, and webinar on Palayamanan.
The annual observance is pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 524 series of 2004, declaring November as National Rice Awareness Month.