ILOILO City – Nearly P15 million worth of an oyster processing facility will soon rise in Altavas, Aklan.
The facility will produce communal fresh oysters employing “raft module technology” to lessen siltation as a by-product of processing mollusks with silt residues. The collected products will be sold as fresh oysters in sacks and fermented oysters in jars.
The project will be managed by the Altavas Small Fishermen’s Association (ASFA) and the Tinagong Dagat Fishermen’s Association (TDFA).
The Department of Agriculture (DA) 6 through its special project, the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), reinforced the Oyster Production, Processing, and Marketing Enterprise by establishing the P14,957,837.17 facility.
Earlier this month, the Provincial Project Management and Implementing Unit (PPMIU) of Aklan commenced the construction with a ceremonial groundbreaking.
Aklan PPMIU Joel Ordoña said the PRDP does not only aim for food production but also targets all segments of the value chain with identified constraints to be given appropriate interventions.
Meanwhile, ASFA president Clyde Duran stressed that the construction of the processing facility will greatly aid members in obtaining additional livelihood and stable income.
PRDP aims to increase rural incomes and enhance farm and fishery productivity in targeted areas.
Further, it gears towards a more inclusive rural development by supporting small farmers and fisherfolk to increase their marketable surpluses and improving access to markets. (PIA)/PN
