Cagayan Supplier Suspended for Selling Government Seeds

TUGUEGARAO CITY – A commercial farm supplier in Sanchez Mira town, Cagayan, has been suspended for three months for allegedly selling inbred rice seeds packed in sacks marked “DA (Department of Agriculture)” and “Not For Sale.” The suspension took effect on July 16. Sanchez Mira agriculturist Ridel Cabulisan earlier received complaints from farmers that a commercial supplier was selling them government-distributed inbred rice seeds. Sanchez Mira Mayor Abraham Bagasin said the three-month suspension of Derima Farm Supply-Grocery’s business permit was issued on July 16 after an investigation and inspection. “Out of the alleged P6-million worth of seeds sold to farmers, some of whom complained to us about the seeds’ efficacy and legality, only P1 million were discovered at the company premises,” the mayor said in an interview on Wednesday. The joint inspection initiated by the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist, the town’s Security and Enforcement Division, and the police led them to 47 sacks of inbred rice seeds, each weighing forty kilograms, which were packed in blue sacks printed with the “DA” and “NOT FOR SALE” logo at Derima’s facility. The team learned that the rice seeds originated from various seed growers affiliated with Apayao Seed Producers Multi-Purpose Cooperative, which is located in Luna town in Apayao province in the Cordillera. Agricultural supply owner Marlon Viloria claimed he was unaware that the rice seeds delivered to his establishment had been packed in government-labelled sacks. After consulting his brother-in-law, Darwin Alcantara, who had a direct line with their supplier, Viloria informed the inspection team that the rice seeds delivered to the store were excess stocks from a Department of Agriculture (DA) program. Viloria claimed that their supplier had no available sacks at the time of packing and resorted to recycling old sacks. When requested by the local government’s security and enforcement division for supporting documents covering the delivery of the rice seeds, Viloria was unable to present an official receipt or sales invoice but produced a handwritten delivery note indicating the delivery of sixty bags of rice seeds. “Considering the circumstances and pending further verification of the origin and legitimacy of the rice seeds and the use of the government-marked sacks, the inspection team instructed Mr. Viloria to secure the 47 sacks of inbred rice seeds which he can not sell, distribute, or otherwise dispose of until the matter has been fully investigated,” Cabulisan said.