DAVAO ORIENTAL – In a bid to improve the province’s agriculture sector by empowering farmers to secure abundant harvests and increased income, at least P30 million in agriculture support interventions have recently been turned over to farmers’ associations in four municipalities here, benefitting more than 4,000 farmers.
The farmer-beneficiaries from the towns of Caraga, Cateel, Baganga and Boston gradly welcomed the support, saying the farm machineries and farm implements will greatly benefit their group.
The turned over machineries include: rice harvesters, rice polishers, tractors, rice and corn mills; fishing boats and implements, carabao livestock and farm inputs such as rice, corn, chili seeds, fertilizers, palm oil seedlings, and farming tools.
The farmers group from Tayudong Farmers Association i from Bagaga received the P 5.3 million Village Type Drying Facility. The group is composed of 150 farmers who cultivate more than 120 hectares of corn fields in Barangay Salingcomot in the said town.
The Drying facility has the capacity to process up to 10 tons of wet corn cob per cycle or 150 tons a month.
Agriculture XI Regional Director Engr. Ricardo Oñate Jr., said that the provision of agricultural support is part of the department’s thrust to increase the income of farmers which also perfectly coincides with the Provincial Government’s drive to improve the yield and income of the farmers.
He said that the turn-over is only the start of the downpour of more interventions for the agriculture sector in the province, particularly for those accredited cooperatives and associations. “We anchor all our interventions with the Food Security Plans of the LGUs and we coordinate with agencies like the National Irrigation Authority to maximize our interventions, avoid duplication and waste of resources,” said Director Oñate.
Oñate encouraged the farmers to level up their activities into milling and directly selling their own rice to earn more, instead of merely selling rice grains or palay .
Provincial Agriculturist Rotchie Ravelo said the province remains rice sufficient which is currently at 93 percent. This, amidst challenges posed by climate change and the effects of the Rice Trade Liberalization Law causing stiff competition in terms of rice pricing and quality.
Ravelo, however, is optimistic that the province will be able to pursue its goal in moving towards long-term rice and food sufficiency. “I am confident with the support of Department of Agriculture and all other agencies that we will be able to help our farmers and at the same time address poverty and secure sufficient supply of food for all,” said Ravelo. He further noted that the bottom-line of all government interventions for farmers boils down to making a dent on poverty by increasing harvest and income for the farmers.
Meanwhile, food sufficiency on other crops except vegetables have also maintained with corn sufficiency at 163 percent and fisheries at 88 percent.-PR
