00:00The sector that constitutes the spine of the nation has something to fall back should a worst-case eventuality break
00:06out in the raging and widening war in the Middle East.
00:09A subsidy in the amount of 100 million pesos saved from last year will be available to farmers and fisher
00:16folk if and when gas prices at the pump and fuel products soar due to breaches in the global supply
00:23chain.
00:23Our Gab Humilde has more.
00:27The Department of Agriculture or DA is preparing for the possible impact of the tensions in the Middle East on
00:34the price of agricultural products in the country.
00:36According to DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnold de Mesa, some of the things the department is preparing for is the
00:43spike of fuel products used in machinery used by farmers and fishermen.
00:48The DA has allocated 100 million pesos in fuel subsidy for farmers and fishermen that were not used last year.
00:56The guidelines for the distribution of fuel subsidy to farmers and fishermen are contained in Memorandum Circular No. 35 and
01:03Memorandum Circular No. 42 released last year.
01:06Under the program, the name of the beneficiary, farmers and fishermen must be listed in the registry system for basic
01:13sector in agriculture or RSBSA.
01:16And they must have machinery that they have rent for farmers or have a boat not exceeding 3 gross tonnage
01:22and the fishing gear they use is in compliance with the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 for fishermen.
01:28Farmers can receive 5,000 pesos while fishermen can receive 3,000 pesos.
01:33Pag naubos itong 100 million, yung 50 million para sa farmers and 50 million para sa fishers, meron pang 50
01:42million na pwede pa kaming ma-access, tag 25 million uli yung mga farmers and fishers natin.
01:50Farmers and fishermen who have not yet received subsidy will be given priority.
01:54The DA will also give fuel vouchers to farmers and fishermen in remote areas.
01:59The said fuel voucher cannot be used for other expenses such as groceries.
02:03It is expected that nearly 10,000 farmers and nearly 16,000 fisher folks will receive the said subsidy.
02:10Another thing the DA is preparing for is the price increase of urea, which is used as a fertilizer for
02:16crops.
02:16The price of urea reached 3,000 pesos when the tensions broke between Russia and Ukraine.
02:22Due to the increasing price of urea, farmers have reduced its use, causing a decrease in food production.
02:28Most of the supply of urea imported comes from China and Indonesia, and only a small percentage comes from the
02:35Middle East.
02:36Meanwhile, the department has not seen any effect on the price of agricultural products this harvest season caused by the
02:42tensions in the Middle East.
02:44Pag March, April, karamihan ng ating consumption manggagaling sa local production natin.
02:51And it will last until yung susunod na lean months ng August to September.
02:57This year, more than 700,000 metric tons of rice already arrived in the country.
03:02Gab Humilde Villagas from the National TV Network for New and Better Philippines.
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