DAVAO ORIENTAL – A farmer from Banaybanay town here in the province has recently been hailed as the country’s best rice farmer.
Genevieve Y. Madelo bagged the accolade Most Outstanding Rice Farmer, during the 46th National Gawad Saka Awarding Ceremony held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila on December 12, 2016.
Madelo, a mother of four and a former Overseas Filipino Worker, said that the government’s assistance played a huge part in her success as a rice farmer. She said the province as well as the municipal government have provided her planting materials and fertilizers, as well as trainings and technical support that not only helped in her venture but also boosted her knowledge in terms of farming.
In 2001, Madelo started off with three quarters of land that she bought out of the money she earned from working abroad. She gradually expanded that parcel of land into the present 12 hectares. She said practicing diversified farming, wherein planting other high-value crops surrounding her rice fields has proved to be efficient rather than sticking to one type of crop.
Practicing the techniques and technology she learned from attending trainings and seminars on farming as well as applying organic farming have also boosted her farming skills and has increased her yield.
Coupled with determination and the assistance she got from the government, Madelo’s pursuit in rice farming significantly increased production from 4 metric tons to 7.7 metric tons, thereby, also increasing her income.
Becoming a source of inspiration to other farmers, Madelo has been tapped as resource speaker in various farmers’ organization activities to share her insights and best practices in rice farming.
Governor Nelson L. Dayanghirang, who was present during the awarding ceremony, says this achievement proves that with aid from the government coupled with entrepreneurial mindset, small farmers can actually become successful in their venture.
Proud of this achievement, he committed to continue providing support that will further prop up Davao Oriental’s Food Sufficiency Program which was started by the former administration.
BOOSTING DAVAO ORIENTAL’s PRODUCTION
The Provincial Government’s effort in boosting rice production has long been mobilized not only in Banaybanay town, which is considered the province’s rice granary and the region’s rice capital, but also in the province’s east coast town of Cateel with wide swathes of plains that have huge potential for rice farming.
In 2014, the Provincial Government officially opened the big-ticket Cateel Irrigation Project. Jointly funded by the World Bank, Department of Agriculture, Mindanao Rural Development Program, and Provincial Government, the said project is said to be one of Mindanao’s biggest irrigation systems. Since its inauguration two years ago, farmers have been enjoying the bounty of harvests as it has allowed them to grow more crops and increase production and cropping season.
The irrigation project has led the province to increase its rice sufficiency level from 67% in 2011 to the present 95%. The Provincial Government is hoping to achieve 100% rice sufficiency as soon as both left and right-wing canals will be fully operationalized.
