Pangasinan (9 April) — THE provincial government headed by Governor Amado Espino Jr. has vowed to intensify rice production to meet the reported impending rice crisis in the coming months.

While at it and believing that man can not live on rice alone, Espino said there is also a need to increase production of other cash crops, including fish and meat.

Department of Agriculture Regional Director Cipriano Santiago assured the governor that Pangasinan’s total rice production last year was 1,011,000 metric tons, scoring a sufficiency level of 161.3 percent.

Pangasinan is the third biggest rice producer of the country to date, trailing by some 20,000 metric tons the second ranking rice producer Isabela, and the top-ranking rice producer Nueva Ecija.

Santiago confirmed that Pangasinan registered a total accomplishment of 103.9 percent out of the targeted areas for planting but fared poorly in hybrid rice production as only 41 percent or 3,405 hectares were planted out of the target 8,380 hectares.

Only a few farmers who planted hybrid rice despite the fact that the Department of Agriculture was giving P1,000 subsidy per bag of hybrid rice seeds bought by farmers from seed producers.

Santiago revealed a program proposed by Abono Partylist Congressman Robert Estrella Jr. that his group is ready to also set additional subsidy for hybrid rice seeds to be bought by Pangasinan farmers just to ensure massive use of hybrid rice.

Santiago said that on corn, Pangasinan planted 40,000 hectares of land, comprising 56 percent of the total area planted in the whole Ilocos Region.

Total corn production last year was 217,000 metric tons out of 365,000 metric tons produced in the region.

On mango, total areas planted comprise 23,000 hectares but for this year, additional 120 hectares of land will be planted.

On vegetables, Pangasinan is presently supplying eggplants, tomatoes, ampalaya and okra to Metro Manila, Region 2, Cordillera, Region 3, Region 4-A and the Bicol Region.

On Fish, DA Asst. Regional Director Rosario Gaerlan confirmed that 95 percent of the fish production in Region 1 comes from Pangasinan.

At present, Pangasinan is one of the top seven aqua-culture producers nationwide but is the nation’s number one milkfish producer.

She said that 93 metric tons of bangus are going to the fish market in Navotas, Metro Manila daily or 33,000 metric tons annually. (PIA-Pangasinan)