The province of Occidental Mindoro will receive almost P300 million (M) worth of projects and programs from the Department of Agriculture this year.
This was the commitment of Agriculture Secretary William Dar during the Provincial Agriculture and Fishery Summit on January 21, 2020 in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.
During the summit, Dar committed P70M for agriculture and P54M for the fisheries sector. He also allocated P51M for the unconditional cash transfer, which will be released under the Rice Farmers’ Financial Assistance (RFFA) Program.
“This year, with the excess tariff revenues following the implementation of the Rice Tarrification Law, DA will implement the second round of RFFA. Starting mid-February, more than 10,000 farmers will receive P5,000 from the department,” Dar added.
Dar also directed the National Food Authority (NFA) to double their efforts in local palay procurement in time for the harvest season, and committed additional trucks for procurement activities in far-flung areas.
“Dati rati ang NFA ay meron lamang na P7 billion, pero even with limited amount, we directed them to roll-over the P7 billion and how much they were able to buy last year? It is about P14 billion, so na-doble at ganun din ang gagawin natin this coming palay harvest,” he explained.
Dar also announced that the DA will allot up to P100M for the establishment of a Solar Power Irrigation System in the province.
A total of P218,929 in indemnity checks from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation were distributed, as well as 30 units of 20-footer Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) boat, fishing gears, and seaweed seedlings worth P820,000 from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
A total of P2.60 million in incentive was awarded to coconut farmers who participated in the Participatory Coconut Planting Project of the Philippine Coconut Authority last year.
In his message, Dar emphasized the importance of creating a good set of projects and programs in the province.
“Dapat meron kayong target every year,” he emphasized.
Based on the Provincial Agri-Fishery Plan for 2021 to 2025 submitted by the provincial government of Occidental Mindoro, the province will be needing P11.9 billion for irrigation support, agri machinery and equipment support, production support, extension and training support, market development support, and roads and bridges.
The province also submitted “Mindoro Strait: Tuna Fisheries Management Plan” which encompasses strategic plan in developing and sustaining the tuna industry in Mindoro Strait.
The DA, under Dar’s leadership is gearing towards the development of a provincial-led agriculture system taking into account value-adding, value marketing, agri-industrialization, and agripreneurship.
As such, Dar highlighted that the local government units will serve as lead implementors while the DA will be the catalysts and mentor in the implementation of agri-fishery programs. ### (Kristel Merle, DA-AFID)
