ILOILO – A facility for mechanized farming was provided by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for Capiz farmers.
The Fernandez Farmers Association (FFA) on May 31 this year received P1 million worth of agricultural tractor for the Upgrading of Farm Machinery to Improve Rice Production project after proving their competence.
They also availed of the farm machinery for their second livelihood project following the agricultural store granted by the DOLE bore fruits in just one year of operation.
“The achievements of this association illustrate the capability of the marginalized sector to improve their lives if given the opportunity,” according to DOLE regional director Cyril Ticao, adding that FFA is something to be proud of and deserving of additional support.
Situated at Barangay Fernandez, Maayon, Capiz, the organization currently has 51 members. In 2019, they registered with DOLE and applied for livelihood assistance for the Provision of Agricultural Inputs for Trading project under the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program.
Seeing their determination, DOLE-6, through its Capiz Field Office (CFO), gave a financial aid of P500,000 on May 29 last year.
As a new player in agricultural supplies, the trading store became popular because of its strategic location. It served members and non-members of the association as well as farmers from the neighboring barangays.
“Ang una nga project pinaagi sa DOLE daku gid nga bulig sa amon. Ang coop store ang amon ginadalaganan para sa abono kag iban nga kinahanglanon sa uma,” shared Marilyn Bernales, the store manager.
Due to its proximity, the store also provided savings to farmers through reduced transportation costs of farm needs. This also keeps them away from borrowing money and paying high interest.
The perseverance of the members contributed to the project’s success. For only seven months of operation, the net income exceeded the projected annual earnings of the association.
With the notable success of the first project, DOLE-6 did not give a second thought to assisting the FFA.
The mechanization of rice production will address the challenges in land preparation, open a door for a supplemental income, and help realize the dream of becoming a self-reliant organization by building diversified livelihood./PN
