Bohol’s food supply to boost next month

The Bohol’s food supply is expecting to boost next month following the harvesting time of thousands of hectares
(has.) of planted rice among Boholano farmers in the province.
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas during the “Tingog sa mga Bol-anon Program” of the
provincial government last Friday which has been heard every 8 am-9 am at DYRD said that Bohol could expect a
good harvest of planted rice starting last week of next month considering the frequent rainfalls have been
experienced in Bohol and almost all among the Boholano rice farmers have planted their rice lands.
Dr. Pamugas bared that Bohol has 47,378 has. of potential rice areas and out these there are 34,204 has. have
planted with different varieties of rice while the rest are not being tilled because of the insufficiency of water supply.

RICE SELF SUFFICIENCY

He disclosed that under the Advanced Rice Technology (ART) 160 (hybrid)  and ART 120 (inbred), Governor Art
C. Yap aims to boost rice production in the province.
In the next cropping season, the provincial government has targeted 9,000 has. to be planted with hybrid rice and
10,000 has. for inbred rice.
Pamugas said the governor strongly urged the Boholano farmers to plant hybrid rice on their tilled irrigated areas
because it produces high yield that would reach up to 160 sacks per has. and also to plant inbred rice for areas who
have reliable sources of water and rainfed which also shows good yield performance.
To date, said that the rice standings are in booting/panicle initiation, heading to the flowering, dough, and ripening
to maturing stages.
He reported that last Wednesday and Thursday he traveled almost around Bohol and he saw the good condition of
the standing crop and enough water levels among dams; the Malinao Dam, Pilar; Bayongan Dam in San Miguel;
Capayas Dam in Ubay and San Pascual Dam in Talibon.
OTHER CROPS

Pamugas emphasized that not only rice has given priority in the provincial government to boost food production
but also corn, cassava, sweet potato, ubi, banana, and other root crops and fruit trees to sustain food sufficiency.
He said that Bohol has 20,000 has. of potential corn areas that the provincial government aims to developed.
However, he explained that of these potential areas there are only 6,243 has. existing areas and out of these only
3,483.23 has. have planted with different varieties of corn.
Pamugas encouraged the Boholanos to eat corn because based on the Philippine Statistics Authority data it
showed that there is a big disparity between those people who used to eat rice compared to corn of which the per
capita consumption for rice an individual could consume 115 kilograms (kgs.) per year whereas for corn would only
4.8 kgs.
He added that the province has also enough supplies of vegetables locally grown by Boholanos aside coming from
other provinces.
The Assistant Provincial Agriculturist categorically stated that no need to worry amid the crisis brought about by
COVID-19 because Bohol has enough supply of foods. (Atoy Cosap)

caption;
ENOUGH FOOD SUPPLY. Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas (left photo) during the
“Tingog sa mga Bol-anon” program last Friday aired over station DYRD says that Bohol could expect more
food supply next month considering the good condition of standing crop and enough supplies of water of all
the dams in the province.