ILIGAN CITY – To cushion the impact on farmers on increasing production costs, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) helmed by Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado, turned over P9.35 million (M) worth of agricultural farm inputs to the City Local Government Unit (CLGU) of Iligan on Monday, July 10, this city.
Funded by the agency’s Corn Program, DA-10 Executive Assistant III Joel S. Rudinas, together with Lanao del Norte Provincial Operations Center chief Abdulharis P. Paporo, handed over the certificate of turnover of said interventions to Iligan City mayor Frederick W. Siao during the CLGU’s flag ceremony and opening of their Pakaradjaan festival.
Said agri inputs, comprising 1,000 bags of hybrid yellow corn seeds amounting to P6-M, will benefit 23 identified farmers’ cooperatives, associations (FCAs) and some eligible farmer-beneficiaries of the city.
Together with the seeds, 1,000 bags of Inorganic Fertilizer (14-14-14) worth P3-M and 3,500 packets of Bio-N fertilizer (P350K), were also conferred to boost Iligan City’s corn production area and increase farmers’ income through balanced fertilization.
In his remarks, Mayor Siao thanked DA for its continuous support to the city, particularly for the corn farmers to lessen their production costs by providing farm inputs for the upcoming dry cropping season.
“Together with the City Agriculture Office, we will assure the propagation of the assistance from DA to our farmers,” he said.
In an interview, Tiburcio M. Tagactac, president of Scions Rural Farm Workers Association (SRFWA) conveyed, “Malaking bagay talaga ang makatanggap ng libreng abono at binhi, dahil nakakatulong itong maibsan ang gastos sa aming pagtatanim. Kaya nagpapasalamat ako sa DA at sa aming pamahalaang lungsod sa walang sawang suporta at tulong na binibigay sa aming mga magsasaka ng mais.”
He added that the assistance given to them will benefit the association’s 36 members, covering about 20 hectares of corn area.
Also present during the activity is DA-10 Corn program Agriculturist I Richard G. Apare, Iligan City Agriculture’s Office consultant/focal person Kevin R. Fernan, and city agriculturist Marie Ann J. Beley.
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