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[ DA MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 10, S. 2013, March 18, 2013 ]

IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES ON THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (DA) - AGRI PINOY PROJECTS ON INCREASING CROPPING INTENSITY: THIRD CROPPING AND RATOONING



This Memorandum Order is issued to provide the guidelines for the implementation of the DA - Agri Pinoy Projects on increasing cropping intensity: third cropping and ratooning.

RATIONALE

The Philippines being the 8th world’s biggest consumer of rice can have a destabilizing impact on the world's rice market as shown by the experience in 2007 - 2008 when the price of rice went to over US $1,000.00 per metric tons because of the high imports of the country which reached to 2.4 Mmt (FSSP 2012). The high price of rice seriously affect the ability of poor consumers to buy rice, their staple food, and, consequently, their nutrition and health. With the Philippines' experience of rice crisis and the continuously increasing world demand of rice and thin world market supply, the Department of Agriculture has launched Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP). In this program, several strategies are being implemented to achieve sufficient supply of domestically produced food staples especially rice. One of the identified and implemented strategies in achieving sufficiency is by boosting productivity of food producers particularly of the rice farmers.

Increasing crop intensity of the irrigated rice areas is a way of boosting the productivity of rice producers. Under this strategy, two specific projects are implemented namely Third Cropping and Ratooning. Third cropping is the advancing of the regular cropping calendar to accommodate an additional crop. In this project, farmers may plant five crops in two years or three crops in one year. Ratooning on the other hand is allowing the harvested crop to grow and bear grains again by providing inputs like water and fertilizer, among others. In both projects, fast harvest and land preparation activities are necessary as the period between harvesting and planting is shortened. With such, it is appropriate to provide machinery and post-harvest facility that will enable faster turn around between cropping.

OBJECTIVES

Generally, these projects aim to contribute to the rice production of the country by increasing the crop intensity of the irrigated rice areas.

Specifically, these projects aim to:

  1. Encourage irrigated rice farmers to participate in this special project on increasing cropping intensity by providing an environment conducive for ratooning and three cropping in a year or five cropping in two years;
  2. Provide rice farmers opportunity to increase productivity and augment family income;
  3. Promote an efficient and productive land utilization; and
  4. Establish from the recommended technology a resilient locally adopted practices that will withstand the possible impacts of increasing cropping intensity like prevalence of pests and diseases.

SCOPE AND COVERAGE

These projects will be implemented in all participating irrigated rice areas as identified by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) and duly validated by the Regional Field Units (RFUs) and Local Government Units (LGUs). Implementation of these projects, based on the approved project framework by the Secretary of Agriculture, will be on CY 2013 and to be sustained in CY 2014 and beyond.

IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES

These projects on Third Cropping and Ratooning will be implemented by the Department of Agriculture and its attached Bureaus and Agencies, particularly NIA and BSWM, in collaboration with the Local Government Units. In addition to these offices, cooperation and support from the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), Irrigators’ Associations (IAs), Small Water Impounding System Associations (SWISAs) and other Stakeholders will play vital roles for the success of the implementation of this project.

IMPLEMENTATION SCHEME

  1. NIA and BSWM, in coordination with LGUs, will identify Irrigators’ Associations (IAs), Small Water Impounding Service Associations (SWISAs), and other existing Farmers Associations that has sustainable supply of irrigation water that will allow them to adopt the projects. They will then disseminate project information to the identified capable organizations and encourage them to participate in the projects on increasing crop intensity - third cropping and ratooning.
  2. NIA Regional Office and/or BSWM Soil and Water Area Coordinator (SWAC) will endorse the list of interested IAs, SWISAs, and Farmer Organizations together with the certification on the availability of irrigation water from concerned NIA Provincial/ Project Office or BSWM Field Officer to DA RFU.
  3. DA RFU will conduct validation to the areas of the endorsed organizations and come with the final list of participating organizations per project together with their profiles to include number of participating members per organization, area to be planted, and validated cropping calendar, among others. Data from the validation will be considered as the final target and will be submitted to the National Rice Program Secretariat. Targets to be submitted should be duly endorsed by the Regional Executive Director of DA RFU, Regional Irrigation Manager (RIM) of NIA Regional Office, and Soil and Water Area Coordinator (SWAC) of BSWM.
  4. DA RFU will coordinate with ATI Regional Training Center (RTC) for the cropping calendar of the participating organization to schedule the extension activities that will be conducted to the target areas. ATI will coordinate with PhilRice for their recommended protocol for 3rd cropping and ratooning to increase yield and minimize or avoid incidence of insect pest and diseases. ATI will then conduct trainings to the participating farmers on the abovementioned protocol. Also in this training, participating farmers will be encouraged to take note of the practices that results to favorable outcome - higher production or lesser pest and disease incidence, among others - which they can share and recommend to be adopted by their organization.
  5. DA RFU in coordination with NIA, BSWM, and LGUs will conduct periodic monitoring of the project implementation and provide progress reports to the National Rice Program Secretariat. (See Monitoring and Evaluation Section of this Guideline)
  6. To promote continuity of the practice of third cropping and ratooning, DA will provide support interventions, as grant, to the participating organizations in form of hand tractor and thresher provided that they will qualify in the following criteria:

    1. The participating organization should have a minimum required area of at least 100 hectares, identified and validated to be ratooned or planted with third crop for them to qualify for one hand tractor. In increment of 100 hectares over the minimum required area, the participating organization may be granted with another unit hand tractor subject to availability of the units.
      In providing additional units, all the qualified participating organizations should be provided first with one unit hand tractor before providing any additional unit/s to those who qualify for extra units. Selection for beneficiaries to be granted with hand tractors in case the budget allocation fall short of the total regional requirement, prioritization should be in accordance to the size of the area implemented with these projects.
    2. The participating organization should have at least 500 hectares ratooned or planted with third crop for them to qualify for one thresher.
    3. In case the participating organization can't meet the minimum required area, they may be clustered with other adjacent organizations for them to qualify for a hand tractor and/or thresher, provided that they will sign an agreement on the ownership and operations of the provided intervention/s, which will be submitted to DA RFU.
From the above criteria, DA-RFUs, NIA, and BSWM in coordination with PLGUs and or MLGUs shall determine the number of units of hand tractor and thresher to be given to participating IAs, SWISAs and Farmers Associations, and the like.

For the ratooning project, aside from providing farm mechanization and post harvest intervention, the use of appropriate nutrients, to include soil ameliorants is recommended to enhance increase in yield at low cost for the marginalized and participating farmers. All other interventions deemed necessary to increase rice yield under this program shall be based on farmers’ request subject to recommendation of the Rice Program National Coordinator and approval of the Secretary of Agriculture.

Procurement of all farm machinery and equipment, to include appropriate nutrients and soil ameliorants under the scope of this program shall be conducted by DA RFU in compliance and conformity with R.A. 9184 subject to existing accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

MINIMUM SPECIFICATIONS

Hand Tractor

The following are the specification for hand tractor:

  1. With heavy trailer and brand new tires
  2. 60-60 transmission
  3. With 7hp diesel engine, preferably Japanese brand following rice farmers’ preference
  4. With cage wheel and brand new pneumatic tire
  5. With 2 disc plow, comb harrow and moldboard-type side plow
  6. With reflectorized DA Logo
  7. With basic tools and accessories
  8. With minimum warranty of 1 year, and
  9. Should conform with PAES

Thresher

The following are the specification for rice thresher:

  1. Output capacity of 0.80-1 ton/hr
  2. With pneumatic tires
  3. With 16hp gasoline engine/7hp diesel engine
  4. With basic tools and accessories
  5. With minimum 1 year warranty
  6. With reflectorized DA Logo, and
  7. Conform with PAES

FUNDING

Funding for the implementation of the interventions for Third Cropping and Ratooning projects shall be sourced from the approved Agri Pinoy Rice Program fund. The disbursement of funds under this program shall be in accordance with the existing accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

  1. The concerned LGU (MLGUs/PLGUs) in coordination with NIA Provincial/Project Office shall prepare and submit monthly status report of project implementation to DA RFU thru NIA Regional Irrigation Office;
  2. DA RFU shall furnish the National Rice Program Secretariat of the submitted monthly reports;
  3. The NIA Regional Irrigation Office and DA RFUs shall prepare terminal report of the project implementation for submission to the Office of the Secretary thru the National Rice Program Secretariat; and
  4. The National Rice Program Secretariat and DA RFUs shall also conduct periodical project monitoring, validation, and evaluation of project implementation.

SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDELINES

The DA-RFUs may formulate supplemental/detailed guidelines needed for the implementation of these projects in their locality provided that it will conform to the general scope of this Guideline, and shall require the notation of the National Rice Program Coordinator prior to its effectivity.

In the case of the specifications of the components of these projects indicated in this Memorandum Order, adjustments to the actual results of bidding and award undertaken prior to the issuance of this order shall be allowed subject to the concurrence of the national rice program coordinator.

EFFECTIVITY

This Memorandum Order shall take effect immediately upon signing remained enforced until revoked or superseded. This Memorandum Order shall supersede other issuances that are inconsistent herewith.

Approved:

(SGD.) PROCESO J. ALCALA
DA Secretary

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