FAO's assistance will help farmers produce approximately 99 200 metric tonnes of palay (paddy rice), which is equivalent to 59 500 metric tonnes of milled rice that can feed about 522 000 people for one year.

Manila – Rice farmers in Central Luzon whose livelihoods were severely affected by two successive typhoons in the last quarter of 2015 have much to look forward to as 2016 begins. Through the partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Department of Agriculture (DA), at least 18 900 of them are receiving support to re-plant their damaged farms within the current cropping season.

“FAO is augmenting the farm inputs that the Government is providing in affected areas to help ensure that all if not most of the affected farmers receive much needed assistance at the soonest possible time,” said FAO Representative in the Philippines José Luis Fernández.

Earlier in December, FAO mobilized its Typhoon Koppu Response with financial support from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the contribution of the Government of Belgium to FAO’s Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities, and re-programmed savings from FAO’s Typhoon Haiyan Emergency, Recovery and Rehabilitation Programme provided by the governments of Ireland, New Zealand and Norway.

FAO Representative José Luis Fernández also explained that “the assistance is time-critical as farmers need to be able to plant rice while there is enough water or they have to wait for the next cropping cycle in May. This means that they will go for months without sufficient income.”

The Organization is now working closely with the DA field units in order to expedite the distribution of certified rice seeds and fertilizer in nine municipalities in Pampanga, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija. These are among the provinces that were hit hardest by Typhoon Koppu (local name Lando) in mid-October and then again affected by the flooding caused by Typhoon Melor (local name Nona) in December.

“If we were not given these [rice seeds and fertilizer], we would have lost hope. We only borrowed the money that we used in the last cropping season. As it is, we are already deep in debt. Imagine if we had to borrow again,” narrated Ruben Abella, Chairman of the Burgos Upland Farmers Association in Tarlac Province.

“If we plant now, we can harvest in March. Some of the earnings we will use to pay our debts, some to re-invest in our livelihood, the rest of the proceeds and part of our harvest is to support our family,” he added.

FAO estimates that its assistance, which supplements the assistance that DA is providing, will help facilitate the re-planting of 18 900 hectares. This will generate 99 200 metric tonnes of palay (paddy rice), which is equivalent to 59 500 metric tonnes of milled rice that can feed about 522 000 people for one year.

“We are thankful for this opportunity. In my experience, planting certified [rice] seeds allows us to earn almost double what we would if we do not use certified seeds,” said Lucio Campos of Barangay Dolores, Tarlac City.