Agusan Sur eyes "quick turnaround" technology for increased rice production

AGUSAN DEL SUR — The Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) is now implementing a program called “Quick Turn Around” which aims to plant rice and harvest three times in a year to increase rice products in the country especially that Luzon area is affected first by the dry spell and followed by typhoon, in line with a directive issued by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Max Gegato of PAO said that 300 hectares are targetted under this program to cover Bayugan, Esperanza and Bunawan towns. He said that under the program, the government would provide the subsidized seeds where it should be planted before September 15 so that it could be harvested by last week of December.
Gegato said that Dr. Srisco Malabanan, DA National Rice Program Director emphasized the need to increase the rice products in the country especially that abnormal weather conditions affect the Luzon area and that there is a problem in the supply of rice in the world market.
On the other hand, DA Secretary Arthur Yap said that the country has sufficient supply of rice, fish and vegetables and does not expect abnormal increases in the prices of these goods.