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Friday, September 1, 2017
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ILOILO City – Secretary Manny Piñol of the Department of Agriculture (DA) told more than 600 farmers of Western Visayas that the government is continuously devising programs to professionalize the sector.
During a visit on Aug. 30, he said the DA will provide necessary credit support, postharvest facilities, and market assistance to farmers.
The DA is now looking for private financers to invest P15 million in the 1,000 hectares irrigated rice areas in Guimaras. Piñol commended the Provincial Office for Agricultural Services of Guimaras for the immediate submission of data and documentary requirements needed to push through the project.
According to Piñol, the DA will no longer distribute seeds to farmers since rice seed varieties are area-specific and the government has a long procurement process.
“Instead of conducting the bidding, we will lend farmers P15,000 per hectare to buy one bag of hybrid seeds and 10 bags of fertilizers. Farmers could buy their preferred variety of hybrid rice seeds,” he explained.
Piñol said the DA’s proposed budget for 2018 is P220 billion, however only P60 billion has been approved. Hence, the DA executive discussed with private financers and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to partner in the “Kaibigan at Kaagapay: Adopt A Farm Program.”
The DA-Agricultural Credit Policy Council will hold program orientation and will issue ID cards under Juan Magsasaka National Accreditation to farmers.
“We need P7.5 billion to finance our target of 500,000 hectare-irrigated areas by the next planting season. We will confer with OFWs from different countries soon. On the record, OFWs remit $50 billion a year. If they invest in farming, they could earn P4,500 per hectare in every harvest,” said Piñol.
The private financers will procure seeds and fertilizers from accredited seed companies. Then it will be coursed through to farmers and irrigators’ groups who will manage the credit and collect payments from the farmers.
“Farmers will only have to pay 6 percent interest per annum without loan collaterals and it will be payable for two years,” he explained. He added that farmers will be automatically covered with crop insurance from DA.
The prevailing market price of fresh palay in the region particularly in Iloilo and Guimaras is only P12 per kilo.
“This is very oppressive and exploitative to the part of the farmers. My dream is to establish a system that will liberate farmers from the manipulation of traders. I will encourage private financers to also put up drying facilities,” said Piñol.
During a forum held at WESVIARC (Western Visayas Agricultural Research Center), Iloilo City, the DA chief distributed 188 units of farm machinery and equipment amounting to P34,470,000. Farmers associations from Aklan received P3.5 million-worth of farm equipment, Antique – P3.81 million, Capiz- P7.190 million, Guimaras-P2.2 million, Iloilo-P14.34 million, and Negros Occidental- P3.39 million.
According to Regional Executive Director Remelyn Recoter, the budget was obtained from the 2016 savings, this year’s fund and Secretary’s commitment.
Piñol assured the farmers that DA is providing branded and quality equipment to its beneficiaries.
“I don’t really mind if we pay more as long as the equipment is durable. I instructed all Regional Executive Directors that they have to utilize at least 90 percent of the cash being downloaded to them every quarter or else they will be removed from their posts,” he stressed. (SMH Toreno, DA-6/PN)
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