September 20, 2024
Aid worth US$1.2 million provided to farmers in Caraga Region, Philippines
Thousands of farmers in the Caraga Region, the Philippines, have received ₱69 million (US$1.2 million) worth of livelihood assistance, machinery, and livestock support from the Department of Agriculture (DA) on September 13.
A total of 41 farmer associations and cooperatives, comprising rice and corn farmers, livestock producers, and high-value crop producers, benefited from these forms of assistance during simultaneous distribution activities.
The aid was distributed to 15 associations in Agusan del Norte, nine associations in Agusan del Sur, three groups in Dinagat Islands, five cooperatives in Surigao del Norte, and nine organisations in Surigao del Sur.
The distributed equipment included farm tractors, hauling trucks, combine harvesters, corn shellers, rice threshers, seed and soybean sorters, floating tillers, multicommodity threshers, and chest freezers.
In Las Nieves, Agusan Del Norte, DA-13 (Caraga) executive director Arlan Mangelen and Mayor Karen Rosales led the turnover of interventions to 11 farmers' associations and cooperatives, representing a total allocation of ₱23.1 million (US$412,566) for 528 members in the town.
"This distribution of interventions is a collaborative effort with other government agencies and the provincial and municipal governments of Agusan del Norte and Las Nieves," Mangelen said during the event. He emphasised that addressing poverty and other pressing community issues requires a unified approach from all stakeholders, including government and private sectors.
Ruel Torralba, president of the Malungtarong Wes Las Nieves Corn Cluster Farmers' Association, acknowledged the positive impact of the combined corn harvester his group received.
"This equipment will help expedite the harvesting process, save us time, and ensure that our corn products are market-ready," he said, representing a 73-member group, which manages 215 hectares of corn farms in the western part of the town.
- PNA
