JONES, Isabela — A P5 million worth of rice mill was turned over to a cooperative in this town to benefit farmers cooperative and associations (FCAs) in Barangay Dalibubon in this town.
Executive Director Narciso Edillo of the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 2 (DA-RFO2) said the rice mill was received by the Kabisig Savings and Agri-Development Cooperative (Kasa Kabisig) on January 27.
“This is a result of the Bayanihan Agri Cluster (BAC), one strategy of Consolidation Pillar under the OneDA Reform Agenda, and with it, Kasa Kabisig can elevate Dipangit Extreme Farmers Association (DEFA) to benefit and help the smallholding farmers in the area,” Edillo said in his message during the turn over ceremonies.
Jones Mayor Leticia Sebastian said the local government unit (LGU), Kasa Kabisig and the DEFA has already forged an agreement as regards the successful implementation of the BAC.
“The local government unit will do its part,” Sebastian said as she also expressed thanks to the DA-RFO2.
Dr. Marvin Luis, DA-Rice Program regional coordinator, said the objective of BAC is for Kasa Kabisig as the big brother to process the harvest of DEFA, the small brother, while the latter commits itself to produce the needed volume of the harvest to the former.
Dr. Ferdinand Cortez, DA-RFO2 public relations officer and broadcast unit head, said interventions extended by the DA-RFO2 for 2021 to Kasa Kabisig as big brother include a rice mill with mist polisher worth P5 million, a four-wheel-drive tractor worth P1.2 million and a combine harvester worth P1.6 million.
For 2022, Cortez said interventions provided were a color sorter worth P3 million, a hauling truck worth P2 million and a warehouse worth P10 million.
Interventions to the small brother FCAs this cropping season includes P552,000 worth of hybrid seeds and P360,000 worth of fertilizer discount voucher, according to Cortez, adding that additional inputs will also be programmed every cropping.
Loreto Ramiro, Kasa Kabisig president, said they have committed themselves to face the challenges ahead and will put to use the farming interventions they were given to achieve more.
He said the farmer’s co-op also aims to guide other farmers towards more prosperous endeavors.
On the other hand, Alfredo Acierto, DEFA president, also committed to upholding their word to produce more than what their big brother needs and assisting their fellow farmers.
Lawyer Francis Bawang, Cooperative Development Authority Region 2 director, noted how he was impressed by the two organizations working together to uplift people’s lives in the countryside.
SOURCE: https://www.manilatimes.net
