ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE – The Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development Zamboanga del Norte (DA-SAAD ZANORTE) team joins the Provincial Agricultural and Fishery Council (PAFC) ZANORTE’s quarterly meeting for the first time last February 27 at Eco-park, Upper Turno, Dipolog City.

The conference aims to orient the PAFC members on the SAAD Program as well as to open up direct coordination between the SAAD team and the Municipal Agricultural Officers of the province.

SAAD ZANORTE Provincial Coordinator Roni Dusaban led the orientation on the Special Area for Agricultural Development program, in which he noted that the project is DA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol’s initiative when he was the Cotabato governor, wherein he was able to transform the province as one of the most progressive in the country.

All proposals received by SAAD ZANORTE team from the initial phase of the program’s implementation in August 2016 vary from vegetable production, lakatan banana production, native chicken raising, upland rice cultivation, corn production, as well as cattle and carabao dispersal, according to Dusaban. These proposals will be implemented by identified people or grassroots organizations.

Dusaban also discussed the role of Area Coordinators (ACs) as helpers in assisting recipients in identifying the training needs and in learning new technology innovations related to agricultural production. The ACs will be deployed per cluster to conduct institution building and capacity building activities for recipient people’s organizations.

Dusaban also cited that the support to the farmers will only come in the form of goods as no cash will be released directly to project beneficiaries.

The SAAD ZANORTE team is expected to conduct the same orientation in the towns of Sindangan and Polanco this month as per several Municipal Agricultural and Fishery Council representatives’ invitation. ###