A total of 7,684 farmers in this province stand to benefit from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA) program of the Department of Agriculture.

The program aims to compensate for the income loss of rice farmers due to the drop in the selling price of palay and the increasing cost of fertilizer and other farm inputs.

These farmers are in addition to the 19,588 beneficiaries in the province given aid last Feb. 10-26.

A total of 1,803 farmer-beneficiaries from the towns of Bulakan, Calumpit, Paombong, Pulilan, Hagonoy, and the City of Malolos received their RCEF-RFFA cash aid at the Bulacan Sports Complex here on Monday.

On the other hand, a total of 1,496 rice farmers from the towns of Plaridel, Baliwag, Bustos, Pandi, Guiguinto, Bocaue, and Balagtas are set to receive their assistance on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, two distribution activities are scheduled on Wednesday in the town of San Rafael.

It will serve a total of 3,500 beneficiaries from the towns of San Miguel, Doña Remedios Trinidad, San Rafael, and San Ildefonso.

The other payout will be held at Fortunato F. Halili National Agricultural School in Santa Maria town for 885 beneficiaries from the towns of Santa Maria, Angat, Norzagaray, Marilao, and the cities of Meycauayan and San Jose del Monte.

Meanwhile, Governor Daniel R. Fernando reiterated on Tuesday the projects that the provincial government has lined-up for Bulakenyo farmers.

He said these include the Farmers’ Training Center, the Bulacan Multiplier and Breeding Center in Doña Remedios Trinidad, and the province’s own production of vermicompost at the Farmers Productivity Center.

Fernando also urged the farmers to encourage their children to also engage in crop production.

“Kailangan po natin mag-train ng mga anak natin na mag-focus sa farming. Kailangan na natin silang sanayin habang bata pa sila. Importante sa atin ang pagtatanim kaya hindi natin dapat ito pabayaan (We need to train our children to focus on farming. We need to train them while they are still young. Farming is important to us, that is why we should not neglect it),” the governor said in an interview. (PNA)