NORTH COTABATO – Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol turned over various interventions under the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program to the local government of North Cotabato and to the farmers’ associations during the municipality of Midsayap’s 81st Founding Anniversary on November 20, 2017.
A four-wheel drive mini tractor, worth P1m, was given to Golden Fields Multi-Purpose. Farmers of Baliki Farmers’ Association, Upper Labas Farmers’ Association, Palongoguen Farmers’ Association, Villarica Farmers’ Association, Bagumba Farmers’ Association, Kimangango Rural Improvement Club, Pobalacion 8 Rural Improvement Club, and Kisag (Kiwanan) were given interventions worth P1.05m for cattle production.
Farmer-beneficiaries from Sadaan Rural Improvement Club, Poblacion 8 Rural Improvement Club, and Kisag (Kiwanan) received various interventions for hog production worth P1.0025m. Central Bulunan Farm Workers Association, Indigenous People of Bitoka, Indigenous People of Milaya, Asosasyon Sang Mamumuo sa San Isidro, and Central Katingawan Rural Improvement Club were given agricultural assistance for chicken layer production worth P1.2272m. A total of P2.9m interventions on organic vegetable production and P251,950 small infrastructure project were also turned over to several farmers’ associations and rural improvement clubs.
DA chief Piñol said he will continue helping farmers and fishermen in curbing their agricultural problems such as lack of farming technologies, inaccessible financing facilities, and marketing of their produce.
He also committed a P20m Production Loan Easy Access (PLEA) Program budget for the farmer groups in Midsayap. With that, farmers can avail loans with a minimal interest of 6% annually.
He also promised them that all Farm-to-Market Roads will be accomplished in their area before his leadership ends.
The event was also attended by DA-RFO XII Regional Director Milagros Casis, Bureau of Fisheries and Agrarian Reform XII Regional Director Usop Pendaliday, Midsayap Mayor Romeo Araña and local councilors, and SAAD North Cotabato Provincial Coordinator Jerry Tingson and his team.
The province of North Cotabato, one of the ten priority provinces of SAAD for the year 2017, has a 44.8% poverty incidence rate per family according to the 2012 data of the Philippine Statistics Authority. ###
Writer: Jhomai Canlas, SAAD Communications Officer
