VARIOUS government agencies are now working together in preparation for the country’s first palay (unmilled rice) harvest season this year.

In a statement on Friday, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the Department of Agriculture (DA), including Regional Rice Program Coordinators, National Food Authority (NFA) Regional and Provincial Managers and officials of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) were now preparing a “coordinated plan” to be implemented for the first harvest season of 2019.