MANILA, Philippines – Some 600,000 rice farmers will receive a P5,000 cash subsidy during the coronavirus lockdown, the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced on Monday, April 6.

The cash subsidy is part of the DA’s Financial Subsidy to Rice Farmers program, which aims to support farmers who plant one hectare or less in 24 provinces not under the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA) program.

The program has P3 billion earmarked under the 2020 General Appropriations Act.

“Our rice farmers will receive it as a direct cash transfer that they can use to buy either farm inputs, food for their families, or anything they need,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar. (READ: [OPINION] Who will produce our food during the coronavirus crisis?)

The Land Bank of the Philippines will start distributing the cash this week.

An earlier batch of 600,000 farmers, tilling up to two hectares, received P5,000 each under the RFFA.

The DA earlier got a P31-billion boost to increase the country’s food adequacy level during the Luzon-wide lockdown. – Rappler.com