DA allots P20.5-M grant for SoCot farmers

GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 12 has allotted around PHP20.5 million in equipment and facility grant to farmers in South Cotabato province.

Justina Navarrete, head of the South Cotabato-Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (Opag), said Monday local farmers may avail until the end of the year some PHP17.7 million worth of farm machinery and facilities under the corn-cassava program and PHP2.8 million under the rice program.

Navarrete said they are currently accepting letters of intent from various peoples' organizations within the province's 10 towns and lone city that want to avail of the program.

Under the corn-cassava program, she said the available grants are for two four-wheel drive tractors for corn and one for cassava worth PHP2.8 million each, six units of corn mills worth PHP450,000 each, six units of mechanical corn shellers worth PHP250,000 each, one vacuum pack sealer worth PHP78,500, five units of generator sets for the corn mills worth PHP450,000 each, and six units of multi-crop drying pavements worth PHP350,000.

Farmers' groups may also avail of one stationary rice mill worth PHP650,000, 12 units of seed spreaders worth PHP68,400 and four units of transplanters worth PHP350,000 each.

Navarrete said the processing of the grants will be spearheaded by DA-12 in coordination with the Opag and municipal agriculture offices.

"DA-12 will conduct joint site validations of the applicants to ensure that the recipients are the deserving farmer-beneficiaries," she said in a statement. The official said these will be complemented by the construction this year of some PHP10.5 million worth of irrigation projects supported by DA. (PNA)