By YASMIN PASCUAL-DORMIDO
ABS-CBN Bacolod
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has started distributing fertilizer subsidy coupons to farmers in Negros Occidental.
Gov. Isidro Zayco said the coupons are the national government counterpart to the fertilizer assistance program announced by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo earlier.
Zayco explained, the provincial and local government counterparts could not be released yet as they are awaiting the Internal Revenue Allotment differentials from 2001 to 2004. the differentials are supposed to be used for the local governments’ share of fertilizer subsidy.
The coupons will be distributed to cover 76,000 hectares of rice lands in the province.
Provincial Agriculturist Igmedio Tabianan said two coupons worth P500 would be distributed per hectare.
Under the DA-Local Government Unit (LGU) fertilizer subsidy program, each small farmer identified for coverage will receive P500 from DA andP1,000 from local government units.
The amounts will come in the form of P250 coupons for each of six bags of fertilizer the farmers purchase.
In Negros Occidental, LGUs will need P76 million for their needed counterpart funds, Zayco said.
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