NORTHERN MINDANAO, August 20, 2020 – In support to the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Plant Plant Plant Program, the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program of DA-10 will distribute Php 5.6 million worth of basic farm inputs as CoViD-19 assistance to SAAD-implementing local government units (LGUs) in the provinces of Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, and Misamis Occidental.

The farm inputs are 20,192 packs of vegetable seeds; 1,125 packs of sweet corn seeds; and 2,500 bags of organic fertilizers. The interventions will be fully distributed in August 2020 to at least 30 towns in the region, urging farmers in the area to continue farming and increase production.

Using 2020 regular and emergency procurements, SAAD-10 hopes to augment DA-10’s COVID-19 response measure in Northern Mindanao through the assistance.

Adhering to DA’s campaign for sustained and unhampered food production amidst the enduring health crisis, SAAD-10 refocused Php 11.2 million of its 2020 appropriation to fund the procurement of basic inputs for crops and livestock production this year.

The provision of basic farm inputs is deemed imperative to whip up food production in the region as the country is in the continuous battle against the pandemic. Notwithstanding inevitable drawbacks, SAAD-10 is continuously living up to its mandate, serving the marginalized farmers in Northern Mindanao. ###

Writer: Azbie Talib, SAAD 10, Information Officer