ART 160 Buy-Back drive boosts farm production, link to market

In a bid to lessen the problem of the hybrid rice farmers in Bohol to market and boost production, the Provincial
Government of Bohol (PGBh) launched the Advanced Rice Technology 160 (ART 160) Buy-Back program.
The program has allotted P48 million intended to purchase the 10% of the 3,000 hectares (has.) planted hybrid
rice at P20 per kilo for the wet season of 2020 (May-October 2020).
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas, Gertrudes Fuentes, Chief-Crops and Productivity Division-
Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA), and Provincial Rice Coordinator Lorebien Lagapa said that the project
impact of the program of Gov. Art C. Yap’s administration would redound to sustainable food security in the entire
province of Bohol carrying the following objectives: to directly buy local palay at prevailing market price in the
locality plus P1 per kilo; to eliminate or prevent the adverse effect on the implementation of the Rice Liberalization
Law among the rice farmers in Bohol;
To ensure in attaining food security by empowering palay farmers to have substantial income; to alleviate
poverty in the palay farming communities in the province; to ensure supply of rice for supplemental feeding
programs in the province of Bohol; to ensure buffer stock of rice for calamities and disasters; and to encourage
buying local produce by instituting the culture of patronizing local products to start within the PGBh employees.
                                            FARMER-RECIPIENTS
Some 11 Local Government Units (LGUs) with a total of 22 Irrigators’ Associations (IAs) identified with around
15,000 farmer-members are engaged in palay production, namely: Pilar (CARLIM, United PROHANCE IAs),
Batuan (Cansaway), Ubay (GABIBU, SANBABUE, SANLIP RALES), Alicia (Bohol BAGAICO, Kawasan –
Cayacay), Talibon (JOSSIDCO, ISIDJO, CEPLA), Dagohoy (Dagohoy Communal Irrigation System (CIS), San D
Mil), San Miguel (Lateral F, MAMAMIA, SAN BABUE), Bilar (ROXVIL, KUMILAW CIS), Carmen (Guadalupe
CIS, Villarcayo CIS), Candijay (Tugas CIS) and Loboc (Himilian CIS), they said.
They explained that the farmer-members of these IAs will have to sell their palay produce of at least 10% of their
expected gross yield to PGBh then the PGBh is responsible for the stocking, milling and packaging the palay at the
Rice Processing Complex (RPC) located in Poblacion, Pilar.
The support price is P19 per kilo clean and dry which is 14% Moisture Center (MC) palay plus P1 per kilo to
entice farmers to sell their palay produce to PGBh.
The buying price is based on the standard pricing that follows an equivalent net weight in the computation of the
palay price as cited in the following parameters: 14% MC of dried palay, purity of at least 98%, no discoloration or
damage in the palay grain.
There is a corresponding decrease in the price of palay if the moisture content will not meet the requirement,
percentage of purity, and higher percentage of discoloration and damage.
The PGBh through the OPA’s direct role for the program is to buy the palay of the farmer-recipients and pays the
equivalent amount, milling and packaging/ bagging to RPC; while the Provincial Economic Enterprise Management
Office (PEEMO) is the responsible office in the marketing aspect of the milled rice to the identified clients together
with OPA enterprise development section. The proceeds of the sales will be remitted to the Provincial Treasurer’s
Office (PTO).
If there are no changes the product name “Sun Rice” which is 100% Boholano rice will be formally launched this
month of which the premium rice has been sold at P2,100 per sack (50 kilos) or at P45 per kilo and the broken rice
to be sold at 1,200 or at P24 per kilo.
They said the ART 160 Program for the rice industry in Bohol is first of its kind. This is what our farmers need
to be secured of market for their produce every cropping season and with guaranteed price higher than the prevailing
price of the market.
They added that it is noted that the production cost per hectare of rice farming in Bohol is estimated to reach
P50,000 for hybrid rice to include the seeds, fertilizers, pesticide and insecticide, herbicide, labor and other related
expenses in rice farming. The estimated net profit of a farmer is P110,000 per hectare per cropping season or
P27,000 as income per month.
They viewed that the buy-back component of the ART 160 program it surely improves the income and lives of
our Boholano farmers in particular. It also contributes to the decrease of poverty incidence in our Province.
The program would also encourage the Municipal Local Government Units (MLGUs) to allocate funds to buy all
production yields of hybrid palay from their respective localities as a way of helping the farmers who have been
affected by the Rice Tarrification Law (RTL) that allows rice importation. (Atoy Cosap)

ADVANCED RICE TECHNOLOGY (ART) 160 Project under the administration of Gov. Art C. Yap
through its ART 160 Buy-Back Program helps the Boholano farmers to market and boost production. The
program intends to buy the 10% of the 3,000 hectares (has.) planted hybrid rice at P20 per kilo dried palay
with 14% moisture content this wet cropping season much higher compared to P16-P18palay prices from
local traders. FOTO Lorebien Lagapa, OPA Staff