Sunday, December 15, 2024

Agri-10 rolls out P2.934-M fuel subsidy to Valencia City farmers

VALENCIA CITY, Bukidnon – The Department of Agriculture – Northern Mindanao (DA-10), helmed by Regional Executive Director Jose Apollo Y. Pacamalan, rolled out about P2.934 million (M) in fuel subsidies to farmers who own or rent functional agricultural machinery for food production

On August 19, some 978 eligible farmers received their fuel assistance allocation worth P3k each, which was loaded into the DA Intervention Monitoring Card (IMC), issued in partnership with the Universal Storefront Services, Corp.

Per implementing guidelines of the Fuel Assistance to Farmers Project for FY 2023, the fuel subsidy aims to temper the farmers’ brunt on fuel expenses, which forms part of the important operating costs in farming; thereby, enhancing their resiliency and cushioning the impact of the surge of oil price hikes in the agricultural sector.

Eligible recipients are either individual farmers or farmer-members of a Farmer Cooperative Association (FCA) with proof of machinery ownership or rental agreement uploaded in the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Management Information System (ABEMIS), and further, they must be listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).

Valencia City Mayor Azucena P. Huervas, a staunch supporter of the local farming community, has been instrumental in facilitating the provision of fuel assistance from the national government through the DA. Her efforts are particularly noteworthy given the challenges that farmers in the locality are facing, such as the El Niño-triggered effects on their planting and other farm operations.

DA-10’s partner on the ground in the validation of farmer-beneficiaries, the city agriculture’s office of Valencia headed by Connie L. Dalangan, congratulated the farmers to have been granted intervention by the government, as the fuel assistance will help mechanize and modernize their agricultural production systems.

“I hope that you have felt the presence and sincerity of the government, that through this gesture [of providing fuel subsidy], it may serve as an inspiration [to all our farmers] to work even harder to augment their yield and income.” the city agriculturist remarked.

Spearheaded by the Regional Agricultural Engineering Division of the DA-10, the agency is set to cap off this week’s fuel assistance distribution tomorrow, August 20, in Kitaotao town, where P1.212-M will be dispensed to 404 farmers in the said locality via their DA IMC. (JLO)

3,097 Bukidnon farmers receive fuel subsidy

VALENCIA CITY, Bukidnon – Some 3,097 farmers from Valencia City and the towns of San Fernando, Dangcagan, Damulog, Don Carlos and Kadingilan of Bukidnon province received fuel assistance amounting to P9.291-million from the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) helmed by Regional Executive Director Jose Apollo Y. Pacamalan, on May 20, 2024

The assistance, provided by the agency’s Regional Agricultural Engineering Division (RAED), aims to help farmers who are mechanizing their farm operations with various agricultural machinery in order to strengthen farmers’ resilience and reduce the impact of oil price increases on farmers’ production costs.

Furthermore, the project is in line with the DA chief’s three-year strategy to mechanize and modernize agriculture and fishery production systems in order to boost agricultural productivity, cut food costs, assure food security, and make farming and fishing a more bankable investment option.

The fuel discount cards were distributed to 1,230 farmers in Valencia City, 503 in San Fernando, 742 in Dangcagan, 110 in Damulog, 106 in Don Carlos, and 406 in Kadingilan.

Each farmer-beneficiary will receive P3K, provided they are duly enrolled in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).

He/she or the Farmers’ Cooperative Association (FCA) to which he/she belongs must own operable farm machinery as listed in the Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering Management Information System (ABEMIS).

One of the Valencia City recipients, Anna S. Neri, thanked the department for making the effort to offer farmers fuel subsidies, which serve to reduce the cost of gasoline or fuel.

Furthermore, the distribution is accomplished in collaboration with Universal Storefront Services, Corp. (MPMT)

Malaybalay gets trading post under DA’s Kadiwa Financial Grant Assistance

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – To sell the agricultural products of farmers, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office turns over the P9.6-million (M) trading post to the City Government of Malaybalay in Bukidnon, on January 17

Located in the market site of Barangay 9 of said city, this will serve as a trading post for farmers’ cooperatives, and associations (FCAs) to increase productivity in agricultural and fishery production in localities.

DA-10 Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga said that the project aims to establish a centralized marketing platform that is accessible to link farmers to consumers ensuring the availability and accessibility of food commodities in high consumer demand areas.

Under the leadership of DA’s Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., modernization of agriculture and digitalization are among the priorities in his administration, in which the farmers should coordinate, converge, and cooperate for the project to be successful from the national down to the local government units, Madriaga added.

Out of the total project cost, CLGU Malaybalay counterparted P4.6-M and DA-10 provided P5-M funded under the Marketing Development Services of the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD).

Over 10 identified FCAs producing vegetables, spices, processed foods, and livestock by-products will benefit from the project, enabling them to link producers directly to consumers.
Also, the City Economic Enterprise Development Office (CEEDMO) of Malaybalay will be in-charge in the operation and maintenance of the facility.

One of the beneficiaries of the facility, Marlyn J. Gallardo, chairman of the Vegetable Growers Association said that through the trading post, many farmers can expand their opportunity to sell their agricultural commodities and will help elevate the economy of the city.

[Pinaagi sa trading post, daghang mga mag-uuma ang mopalapad sa kahigayonan sa pagbaligya sa ilang mga palaliton sa agrikultura ug tinguha sa pagpataas sa ekonomiya niining syudad.]

Malaybalay City Mayor Jay Warren R. Pabillaran emphasized that the government continues to provide facilities to support and encourage the farmers to be more resilient and proactive, urging careful planning to address and enhance the resilience of farmers against challenges.

Attending the event were Vice-Mayor Estelito R. Marabe, Sangguniang Panglalawigan Committee on Agriculture Alan Ryan O. Legaspi, DA-AMAD Agriculturist II Helen M. Roldan, Bukidnon Provincial Operations Center chief Janet D. Lopez, DVM, Engineer III Alden C. Tapio of the Regional Agricultural Engineering Division (RAED), and other city officials. (MPMT)

DA revs up FMR project implementation in NorMin

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – To enhance dynamism and efficiency in implementing Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) projects, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) through its Regional Agricultural Engineering Division (RAED), spearheaded the FMR Network Planning on September 19-22, in this city

The activity was conducted in consonance with Joint Administrative Order No. 1, series of 2023, which mandated government agencies implementing FMR projects – DA, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), to work in convergence for the formulation, implementation, and updating of the National Network of FMRs.

In partnership with the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE), DA-RFO 10 through Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado convened its partner agencies and stakeholders for a multilateral dialogue on the regional FMR road map.

Essentially, the planning workshop is an avenue to apprise the city and municipal agriculturists, agricultural biosystem engineers, and the DPWH district engineers on GEOAGRI.

The GEOAGRI is a web-based Management Information System portal jointly developed by BAFE and Caraga State University to consolidate, store/manage, process, and analyze data of FMR projects implemented by National Government Agencies (NGAs) and Local Government Units (LGUs).

As advanced by BAFE, the system is part of the government’s effort to promote transparency, maximize resource allocation, and minimize duplication and overlapping of FMR projects.

FMRs have been regarded as imperative interventions to address agricultural supply chain problems by connecting production areas to markets.

This enables farmers and fishers to broaden their reach and command better prices for their products.

In her message, DA- RFO 10 Regional Technical Director for Operations, Carlota S. Madriaga DA, LGUs, and DPWH to come to a consensus in crafting remedial measures to address challenges encountered on the ground, for effective FMR implementation in the region.

Since 2015, DA-RFO 10 appropriated P4.56 billion in funds for the implementation of 452 FMR projects across the five provinces in Northern Mindanao, in partnership with DPWH and the LGUs.

Criteria such as estimated road influence area, number of farmers/fisherfolk beneficiaries, agricultural potential indicators, present road condition, climate change adaptation, and average daily traffic are determinants in prioritizing and funding FMR projects.

In support of the FMR implementation and monitoring activities in the region, BAFE turned over two laptop and mobile phone units to DA-RFO 10 RAED during the planning workshop.# (ATTalib)