PH to export rice next year-Sec. Alcala

June 4th, 2012

By: Rodrigo S. Victoria

NAVAL, Biliran (PIA) – No less than the top official of the agriculture department has pronounced that the country will start exporting rice in the early part of 2013.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala made the bold pronouncement before the key officers of the farmers irrigators association in Biliran province in his visit to the province on May 31.

“We will export early next year our Philippine rice to Middle East” Alcala vowed but with reservations that only typhoons can deter the plan to sell rice to other countries.

The agriculture department chief named Basmati X rice variety now developed by his department to compete with other top quality export rice being sold in the rice export market.

He stressed that this export quality rice variety now developed by his department is a type of organic rice planted in upland.

It was learned that in the rice export market, Basmati rice variety produced by rice exporting country like India, occupies a prime position on account of its extra long superfine slender grains, pleasant, exquisite aroma, fine cooking quality, sweet taste, soft texture, length-wise elongation with least breadth-wise swelling on cooking and tenderness of cooked rice.

Meanwhile, Alcala challenged some 500 farmers and fisherfolks who attended a forum held during his visit in Biliran province to be proud as farmers as he recounted the experiences of the farmers in the second district of Quezon province when he was still the congressman of the district.

He shared to them how the lives of the farmers in his district have drastically changed through farming where some farmers have already their own sport utility vehicle out of the income derived from farming.

Alcala recalled that the farmers in his district used to sell only three metric tons per day of agriculture produce at the start of the operation of Bagsakan center established in Quezon province.

Presently, they are now selling 100 metric tons per day of agricultural produce in the agricultural trading center of the province, Alcala informed. (rvictoria/PIA 8 Biliran)

Tags: Rodrigo S. Victoria, Sec. Alcala

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