DAVAO DE ORO, January 25, 2022 – Nineteen (19) farmers’ associations (FAs) in various far-flung areas of Davao de Oro each received stripping machines from the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program to produce quality abaca.

In a bid to bolster the groups’ (with 20 members each) enterprising efforts, the stripping machines will streamline post-processing after abaca harvests. The strippers will be servicing 380 abaca farmers cultivating more than 47 hectares.

The stripping machines form part of SAAD Region 11’s FY 2021 Abaca Production Project inputs which include 5,000 abaca plantlets (to cover 2-3ha), fertilizers, digging bars, machete, and vegetable packs to the identified FAs worth a little more than Php 500,000 each. In total, the region spent Php 9,681,571 for the project.

“Salamat sa nag-facilitate ani, kay kani mahimo jud ning makatabang sa amoang tanan (I’m grateful for those who facilitated because this really can help us),” Eduardo Villarba, chairperson for New Barili Upland Farmers Association (NEBUFA), said. Barangay New Barili in the municipality of Maco was identified as GIDA.

“Kani nga gasa gihatag ni sa atoa so kinahanglan jud nato ni palamboon. Daghan na kaayog gihatag ang SAAD diri sa atoa: manok, kanding, mani, humay, ug naa pa ganiy itik (This is a gift given to us–we need to make it prosper. SAAD has given us so much: chicken, goat, rice, and there’s even ducks),” Jose Jarly Tabas, Panoraon Agricultural Farmers and Workers Association (PAFWA) chairperson, added.

Four FAs in Maragusan, four in New Bataan, five in Maco, two in Pantukan, one each in Nabunturan and Mawab, and two in Mabini were awarded with the stripping machines.

SAAD 11 Provincial Coordinator Jake Colina emphasized the program’s thrust among the beneficiaries, saying, “Ang pangandoy sa SAAD masustinar kini, nga dili lang ni taman karon. Nga ang inyohang asosasyon mulambo.”

(SAAD’s ambition is that you’ll sustain this, that this is not the be-all, end-all. That your association will prosper.)

“Bisan pa wala pa tong planting materials, mapuslan na ni siya kay naa na daan production sa atoang mga areas,” Colina added.

(Even though the planting materials aren’t here yet, this (pertaining to the stripping machine) will already be useful because there’s an existing production in our areas.)

Costing a little more than Php 150,000, each stripping machine had a one-year warranty for parts and services, with at least two follow-up visits within the warranty period.

By February, SAAD Region 11 will follow up the distribution with abaca planting materials and agri-tools. ###

Writer: James Brian R. Flaga, SAAD RPMSO 11 Information Officer
Source: DA-SAAD Davao de Oro