SAN JOSE, Antique – Amid the far-reaching impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Agriculture (DA) assisted members of three farmers’ associations in the upland villages of San Remigio, Antique to become organic vegetable cultivators.
DA Region 6’s Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) program is a poverty-alleviation intervention targeting the marginalized agricultural sector.
In San Remigio, it introduced organic midland and backyard vegetable production projects.
The 44-member Nagbangi 1 Organic Farmers’ Association (FA) was among the priority groups that benefited from SAAD’s livelihood project worth P240,950.
Certified inbred cucumber seeds were distributed during the 2020 dry season. A total of 100 grams of seeds were planted in early December 2020 to an estimated .25 hectares. On Jan. 22, 2021, a total of 465 kilos of cucumber were harvested.
Felma Domines, president of Nagbang 1 Organic FA, said they marketed their produce at P20 to P25 per kilo to the town proper and even in neighboring barangays.
According to Domines, they raked in a total of P9,700 from their sale, thus providing additional income to SAAD project beneficiaries.
Another farmers’ group – Uswag Durog FA composed of 178 members – attributed their successful yield to SAAD’s Organic Backyard Vegetable Production Project worth P1,667,250.
Rhea Decallo, Uswag Durog FA president, said they were able to harvest about 798 kilos of bitter gourd or ampalaya from a .25-hectare farmland on Dec. 26, 2020.
Utilizing the assistance and farm equipment provided by SAAD, Uswag Durog farmers earned a total of P53,250 from trading their organic crops to the town market.
Meanwhile, the Aningalan Farmers Irrigators Association Inc. plans to expand their target market for organic crops after a successful turnout of the organic midland vegetable production provided by SAAD worth P248,700.
The group’s president, Alvic Alejo, said during their harvest period in late January this year, a total of 465 kilos of lettuce were harvested. Trading the crops to the local market, the beneficiaries yielded a total income of P49,750, Alejo added.
For his part, Dominador Marquez, DA-SAAD program focal person in Western Visayas, underscored the assistance provided by SAAD was able to increase the vegetable production of the associations and they were able to sell to the local market.
He likewise urged the beneficiaries to help in ensuring the sustainability of the projects. (DA-6/PN)
