by Jose Jemuel B. Dael

AGUSAN DEL SUR (June 26) -- The provincial government of Agusan del Sur continues to provide interventions to farmers to maintain the favorable farming environment and increase income.

Provincial Agriculturist Max Gegato said that Agusan del Sur last year was recorded as the biggest producer of rice and corn in the entire region. He said that the big production, aside from the large area, is attributed to the strong support of Gov. Adolph Edward Plaza to agriculture and to farmers using the convergence approach to development.

He added that subsidizing the price of hybrid rice being sold to the farmers is just one of the continuing interventions of the government. He also explained that P50/kilo of hybrid rice sold to the farmers is subsidized while, fifty percent of the cost of the in-bred rice is subsidized by the government.

Gegato remarked favorably to the allotment of P4-B of the Department of Agriculture for repairs of irrigation canals saying in one of his meetings with the National Irrigation Authority, proposals for repair/rehab funding are already submitted to the higher office, saying that an irrigated farm area for an industrious farmer is translated into income because irrigation canals will provide water to the rice fields reaching the farthest area as possible.