ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, August 19, 2020 – A total of five vegetable farmers’ associations (FA) accepted agricultural inputs worth Php 986,920.00 under the FY 2020 Support to Vegetable Production Project from the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Region 9 at Poblacion Bajo, Municipality of Sergio Osmeña, Zamboanga del Norte.
Barangay Buenavista Vegetable Growers Association (30 members), Barangay Tinindugan FA (46 members), Barangay Don Eleno FA (21 members), Barangay Bagong Baguio FA (24 members), and Barangay Tuburan FA (35 members) were beneficiaries of the following: wheelbarrow, shovel and bolo knife, and some assorted vegetable seeds.
The said associations are SAAD-beneficiaries since 2017 where they were provided with Php 643,350.00 vegetable production package. They also received another vegetable production package worth Php 1,414,500.00 in 2018, while agri-farm machineries, such as hand tractor, shredder, and mush cutter, worth Php 959,500.00 were provided in 2019.
SAAD Area Coordinator Catherine Aranton said that the program continuously provides the necessary inputs to the associations for them to establish a sustainable community vegetable enterprise.
The SAAD farmer-partners also underwent several training programs like profiling and geotagging, technical training for crops and livestock, as well as seminars, including but not limited to social preparation, financial management, and capability building.
“Growing vegetables has served as our livelihood even before SAAD came, that is why we are very grateful for the assistance they have provided us. It really helped us save money because we do not need to spend our own money for the inputs,” said Florida Don Abelo, the president of the Don Eleno FA.
“In the past, we planted in our individual farms; some of us were successful and some were not. This time, we decided to make a communal farm so that we can maximize our efforts and share the benefits. We even have a constant monitoring system in the farm to note the progress of our association,” shared Renato Pelayre, treasurer of Buenavista FA.
Likewise, Silvestre Fabular, the president of Bagong Baguio FA extended his gratitude to the DA-SAAD Program. He said, “we are very fortunate that even if some of our farms did not grow well as expected, SAAD did not abandon us. They motivated us to become better farmers. Now that another package of vegetable farm inputs was given to us, we will be working hard, and together we will continue to improve our farms, our livelihood, and our association to give us better lives.” ###
Writer: Aimee Lou Madjus, Information Officer- SAAD Region 9- Zamboanga Peninsula
Copy editor: Natalianne Marie O. Delos Reyes, PR and Comms Officer- SAAD NPMO
Photo credits to Department of Agriculture RFO IX
