ILAGAN CITY, Isabela (PIA) – The Department of Agriculture Region 2 has turned over 12 infrastructure and enterprise support projects to farmer cooperatives and associations in Isabela province.
The projects, worth P133.7 million under the Philippine Rural Development Projects (PRDP), aim to further boost farmers’ production and strengthen agricultural trade and commerce in the province.
The projects include the recently inaugurated Pineapple Production and Marketing Enterprise worth P 31.8M awarded to the Caviteño Isabelino Agriculture Multipurpose Cooperative in Echague, Isabela.
Regional Executive Director Rose Mary G. Aquino said the pineapple subproject aimed to upscale the existing business of the cooperative on the production, consolidation, and marketing of pineapple.
“This is a testament to the region’s various budding commodity enterprises and pineapple industry’s potential,” Aquino said.
Through the Intensified Building Up of Infrastructure and Logistics for Development (I-BUILD)component of the PRDP, a packaging facility funded under the civil work component of the pineapple enterprise worth P10M was also turned over.
Aquino also said the pineapple subproject was aimed at upscaling the existing cooperative business in terms of the production, consolidation, and marketing of pineapple in the region.
Other than this, the San Agustin Dairy Cooperative (SADACO) in San Agustin town, the San Mateo Rural Improvement Club in San Mateo, the Ramon Farmers Cooperative in Ramon, and the Cabatuan Savings Development Cooperative in Cabatuan also received processing facilities.
“There were also warehouses worth P61.2 million turned over to farmer cooperatives in Cauayan City, and the towns of Gamu, Roxas, Echague, and Mallig,” Aquino said.
Kay S. Olivas, regional technical director for Research and Regulations and deputy project director, advised the recipients to wisely utilize government projects for the benefit and development of their members.
Olivas also challenged the recipient groups to level up their enterprises into processing even without funding support from the government.
Marcelo Mamaclay, chairperson of the Caviteno Isabelino Agriculture Multipurpose Cooperative, expressed his thanks for the support of the government, which he believes will uplift their living status and contribute to the local economy.
Hazel Agustin, manager of SADACO, shared that with the assistance of DA, they are now producing 280 to 300 liters of carabao milk daily as compared to the 100 liters of production before.
The milk they produce, she said, is supplied to the schools within Isabela and Cagayan provinces for the schoolchildren feeding program.
Bernard Batori, manager of Isabela Seed Growers Cooperative, also said that with the new warehouse given to them, they were able to save much for rental expenses. (OTB/MGE/PIA Isabela)
