CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) — The Department of Agriculture’s (DA) intervention programs are making a significant impact on the lives of Filipino farmers, increasing their productivity and income. This was highlighted during the fourth episode of Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas on June 18.
Dante Dosayco, representing the Bliss Lingo-on Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Bukidnon, shared how they benefited from DA-10 programs. These programs, he said, include providing vital farm machinery like tractors, shellers, combined harvesters, and hauling trucks, along with establishing market linkages and ensuring proper technology transfer for the equipment.
He further emphasized the positive results by citing their cooperative’s achievement of winning the Cassava Cluster Excellence Award last year. The aforementioned recognition came with a P2 million award, which they are currently using to purchase an additional truck to further enhance production. In addition, they received 100 bags of fertilizer and 100 bags of corn seeds as part of the prize.
Dosayco expressed his gratitude to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos for recognizing the value of farmers. He also extended his appreciation to the DA, or the agency’s continuous support.
“Dako ang among pagpasalamat niining programa, ilabi na sa atong Presidente Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos sa iyahang paghatag og bili sa mga farmers nga nakatabang aron sa economic transformation sa atoang nasud. Sa DA usab, ilabi na sa atong Director Apollo Pacamalan, nagpasalamat usab kami sa kanunay nga iya ming gitagaan sa pagtagad, ilabi na sa mga farmers nga nanginahanglan sa ayuda gikan sa gobyerno,” he said.
DA-10’s commitment to corn farmers
During the Kapihan, DA-10 Regional Executive Director Jose Apollo Pacamalan presented the department’s various programs, particularly those focused on boosting corn production and supporting the livelihoods of corn farmers in northern Mindanao.
“In Region 10, we have distributed around 418,600 kilograms of corn seeds. This has helped around 23,132 farmers in the region. The agency also distributed around 2,210,000 kilograms of fertilizer in support to our farmers so that they don’t need to buy fertilizer from the market to support their production,” he said.
Pacamalan emphasized that northern Mindanao consistently ranks second nationwide in corn production, achieving a remarkable 144.27 percent corn sufficiency level in 2023. This translates to a surplus of 466,717 metric tons (MT), reflecting a 0.54 percent increase compared to the previous year. Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, and Misamis Oriental were identified as the region’s top corn-producing provinces.
As a recent example, DA-10 turned over P4.9 million worth of agricultural inputs to corn farmers in Laguindangan, Misamis Oriental, on June 6. The provided resources included 300 bags of hybrid white corn, 440 bags of hybrid yellow corn, 590 bags of complete fertilizer, and 2,400 packets of biofertilizer.
“All of these things are being conducted by our department to make sure that the industry will become as vibrant as possible. At the same time, we are making sure that we invest in our corn farmers. We provide them opportunities to generate income and support their families,” Pacamalan added. (APB/PIA-10)
