With 36% of its total agricultural land area dedicated to rice farming, the Office of the City Agricultural Services (OCAS) sees no rice shortage in the city.
From its vast agricultural land and water resource flowing from the Chico River and other tributaries from adjacent municipalities, OCAS Senior Agriculturist Marcelina Saquing told that Tabuk has always had abundant rice throughout the years.
With 18,000 families engaged in rice farming as livelihood source, the agriculturist said that a total production of 129,218.85 metric ton in 2012 has increased to an average of 175,588.92.
The increase, Saquing said was manifested in 2017 when 7.5 metric tons per hectare were produced during the wet cropping and 8.0 metric tons per hectare during the dry cropping season averaging 7.75 metric tons per hectare.
‘’Supported by its 188% rice production sufficiency level, rice stocks in Tabuk have not plummeted,’’ she pointed out.
From a total rice planting area of 16,818, Saquing also told that the OCAS preserves this abundance through its rice programs such as the 1,229.9659 Model Farm from the 21 barangays maintained by 674 farmers; the Precision Rice Farming in five barangays with a total 493.3873 hectares; and the 1,424 hectares for High Yielding Technology Adopted (HYTA) for 949 farmers.
Known by its bounty of rice supply, the city also breeds agricultural achievers from its agricultural extension workers (AEW) to individuals and groups of farmers who are consistently seizing various awards in the provincial, regional and national levels almost yearly.
Among this year’s batch of agricultural champions, with Saquing joining the award is OCAS Agricultual Technologist Felomina Nalog.
‘’This is the reason why the Tabuk LGU through its OCAS was able to secure the title as “Hall of Famer” having won the Rice Achievers Award for four consecutive years since 2014,’’ Saquing mentioned adding that this level could have not been achieved if not for the AEW who are committed to assist in the implementation of proper technologies to the farms and farmers.
The immediate and proper technical guidance of AEWs over the farmers coupled with various technology and various programs and support of the Department of Agriculture and other attached and concerned agencies, she said, helped in the attainment more than the target production. **Darwin S. Serion/Tabuk City Information Office