PUDTOL, APAYAO, PHILIPPINES—The Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) awards agricultural interventions under its 2018 funds in the municipality of Pudtol in Apayao on June 5, 2018.

Awarded were Mula Dur and Lt. Macau Farmers Associations (FAs), with two (2) units each, and ECASAN FA, with one (1) unit.

Meanwhile, ninety-four (94) individual farmer-partners were provided with a hundred and sixteen (116) bags of hybrid pioneer corn seeds (with complete package of fertilizers).

Also, twenty-five (25) farmers each received a bag of OPV corn seeds, with complete package of fertilizers.

Three hundred sixty-eight (368) bags of organic fertilizer were given to eighty-eight (88) individual farmers, followed by vegetable seeds (92 assorted seed cans of bitter gourd, tomato, eggplant, okra, pole sitao, hot pepper; 88 cans of squash seeds; and 104 kilos of ginger), with some of the farmers receiving twice than the 1:1 ratio, depending on their area of production.

Additional hundred and seventy-eight (178) bags of organic fertilizer was allocated to fruit bearing trees that went to 14 farmer-partners, which makes the total number of organic fertilizer bags given to five-hundred and six (546).

Meanwhile, seventy-six (76) bags of inbred rice seeds with complete package of fertilizers were allocated to eighty-one (81) individual beneficiaries.

Present in the distribution ceremony were Municipal Mayor Hector Reuel D. Pascua, SB Edaño Patayan, SB Reynaldo Burigsay, Municipal Agriculturist (MA) Marivic B. Lagmay, Agricultural Program Coordinating Officer (APCO) Ms. Digna Villanueva, and SAAD-Apayao Provincial Coordinator (PC) Mr. Warlito Madamba.

Writer: Ela Arciaga, SAAD NPMO PR & Communications Officer

Contributor: Ruby Ann B. Vicerra, Area Coordinator – Pudtol & Luna (DA-SAAD Apayao)