Since May this year, the Philippines, through the Department of Agriculture, has exported 106.55 metric tons of premium rice.
Reports from DA 12 indicate that almost half of these exports of colored, long grain, and aromatic rice came from farmer groups in Soccsksargen Region or Region 12.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and Assistant Secretary and national rice program coordinator Dante Delima led the send – off of 45 metric tons (MT) of premium rice to Singapore on July 22 at the Manila North Harbor.
Secretary Alcala, during the send-off said, he is pleased with the department’s partnership with farmer groups and the private sector which has aided the agency in surpassing its self-imposed target of 100 MT of rice exports this year.
The shipment, which was processed by Vegetable Importers Exporters Vegetables Association (VIEVA), were sourced from two cooperatives, namely: Magtutumana ng Sta. Rosa Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MSR-MPC) in Nueva Ecija and Firmus Farm Services Providers Cooperative (FFSPSC) with base in Koronadal City.
In an interview, FFSPC Chairman Jaime Junsay confirmed that for the 22 June shipment they have sent 31 MT tons of premium rice, comprised of 14 MT of long-grain rice produced by their group in the Upper Valley area of South Cotabato and 17 MT of Dinorado (aromatic) rice from farmers’ cooperative in Banisilan in North Cotabato.
Before this, 15 tons of organically produced black rice produced by the Don Bosco Multi-purpose Cooperative based in M’lang, North Cotabato were shipped to Dubai, United Arab Emirates on 6 May.
The shipment was followed by a delivery by Don Bosco MPC of a total of 5.8 MT tons of black, brown, and red rice to Hong Kong on 15 May and 16 June.
So far, according to records from DA, Region 12 has contributed 51.8 MT tons of premium rice to the country’s rice exportation.
“With this shipment, and at the rate we are going, it is not far-fetched for our exports of premium and organic, colored Philippine rice will breach the 200-MT mark by the end of the year,” Asec Delima said uring the June 22 send-off.
Delima added, DA is looking forward to exporting another batch of 97 MT until year-end to Russia, Italy, the Middle East, and the United States.
Meanwhile, DA 12 Regional Executive Director Amalia Jayag-Datukan also expressed gratitude to Soccsksargen farmers’ groups, particularly Don Bosco MPC and FFSPSC for closely working with the agency’s rice export program.
She also said that she is happy that Region 12 is part of the success of the country in rice exportation and hopes that more rice exports will come from the region.
