00:00 The Marcos administration is ramping up the contract farming program to drive down the prices of rice,
00:06 targeting 29 pesos per kilogram. The initiative includes support from the National Irrigation
00:12 Administration, where the agency distributed seeds, fertilizers, and water and other assistance to
00:19 farmers. The government aims to sell 100 million kilograms of rice in Kadiwa stores in Luzon,
00:25 Cebu, and Davao by August. Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture or DA is optimistic
00:31 palay production will reach over 20 million metric tons amid the expected La Niña phenomenon.
00:38 When we look at the projections, La Niña will occur in the last part of the year,
00:45 last quarter. If we plant rice this May,
00:48 Palay is four months old. If you say June, July, August, September,
00:54 it can still harvest before the strong storm comes.
01:00 The key is to plant early maturing varieties.
01:09 Now, the target of the National Rice Program is 20.8 million metric tons.
01:16 Because of the improvement in our varieties and interventions,
01:24 I think the losses of El Niño-La Niña will still be included in our projections.
01:30 We can still hit more than 20 million metric tons by the end of the year.
