MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – There will be no rice shortage in the Ilocos Region this year, an official of the Department of Agriculture field regional office said.

DA Field Regional Director Cipriano Santiago said weather permitting, the region will be able to harvest its target of 1.7 million metric tons of rice in the coming wet season.

He said the 1.7 million metric tons will be the region’s contribution to the nation that could help boost the country’s rice stockpile.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap earlier mobilized the DA field office to motivate farmers to expand their production areas and to plant the hybrid rice varieties.

DA is making available hybrid rice and certified seeds for use of the region’s farmers.

Santiago said the DA programmed 310,000 hectares of land to be planted with rice in Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte.

Pangasinan, the biggest province in Region I, is where more than one half of the programmed areas will come from.

“We will see to it that all the programmed areas will really be planted to ensure sufficient supply of rice after the harvesting season,” he added.

Santiago said the expected harvest of 1.7 million metric tons will be more than enough to supply the needs of the region’s population, with the excess to be sold outside.

“We in Region I will not have any problem with rice as we can produce for our own consumption,” Santiago said.

The region has just harvested its second cropping for rice and is now looking for a third cropping starting in May this year.

Some 6,000 hectares of land will be planted for the third cropping season, which is DA’s quick turn-around program for rice.

Most of the third crop rice will be planted in Pangasinan and Ilocos Norte whose farmers are traditional planting rice early. (PNA)