About 100 million kilograms of rice worth PHP29 per kg. will be made available at Kadiwa ng Pangulo centers by August, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) said Tuesday.

According to NIA chief Eduardo Guillen, the project is part of the agency’s contract farming program that covers about 40,000 hectares of land nationwide.

“Ang aming estimate diyan, mga nasa 29 pesos puwede na kaming magbenta, by August naman kami. We have around 100 million kilos of rice na projected na ma-produce po natin by August (Based on our estimates, we would be able to sell rice worth PHP29 per kg. by August. We have projected that about 100 million kg. will be produced under the program that can be sold by August),” Guillen said in a Palace press briefing.

He said this after rice worth PHP20 per kg. has been sold at Kadiwa centers.

This, according to the NIA chief, was made possible through the initiatives of their partner irrigators associations.

“Sabi nila noong kinakausap ko sila, bilang pasasalamat nila sa napakarami nilang tinatanggap na mga ayuda sa gobyerno natin, nag-o-offer din sila ng 20 pesos na bigas (They said when I was talking to them, as an expression of gratitude for the many forms of assistance they have received from our government, they are offering PHP20 per kg. of rice)” he said. (PNA)