ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, October 20, 2020 – The Dampalan Farmers Association (FA) of Barangay Dampalan, Dapitan City received interventions worth Php 757,000.00 from the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region IX Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program as part of the FY 2020 Corn and Peanut Production with a total project cost of Php 1,709,120.00.

The FA received 125 bags of unshelled peanuts (20 kg/bag) which is worth Php 625,000.00 and 300 bags of organic fertilizer (40 kg/bag) worth Php 132,000.00. The said inputs will be utilized to cover about 41 hectares (ha) for peanut production.

Dampalan FA also received inputs under the same project in June 2020. SAAD Region 9 delivered 160 bags of complete fertilizer worth Php 168,053.60; 80 bags of urea worth Php 81,984.00; 40 bags of muriate of potash worth Php 42,525.80; and 20 kilos of foliar fertilizers worth Php 4,100.00. The inorganic fertilizers were provided as support to the corn production component which covers about 20 ha of plantation.

The objectives of the project are to increase production and generate income for Dampalan FA’s 51 smallholder farmer-members.

Confidently, Dampalan FA president Alfrodencio Batino shared that they will be able to manage the livelihood for the next years as it is a sustainable source of income for their families. He said, “the SAAD program has really taken a big part in assisting us towards our progress as farmers.”

During the distribution, SAAD Area Coordinator Shelain Apolinario assured the farmers that the DA-SAAD will continue to uphold its promise to continuously mentor them and monitor their progress.

SAAD inspector Madomer Lester Jan Alboria, SAAD staff Jeffery Dizon and Jann Niño Acopiado, and Dapitan City Agricultural Technician Camillo Recamara assisted in the distribution of the farm inputs.

As a way to expand the SAAD intervention to marginalized farmers, Apolinario also shared that the program identified Brgy. San Nicolas as a new recipient in Dapitan City for 2021. ###

Writer:            Aimee Lou Madjus, Information Officer- SAAD Zamboanga del Norte
Source:           Shelain Apolinario, Area Coordinator- SAAD Zamboanga del Norte
Copy editor:   Natalianne Marie O. Delos Reyes, PR & Comms Officer- SAAD NPMO