LOCAL PRODUCTS. To ensure food security amid the 2019 coronavirus disease, the local government of Carrascal in Surigao del Sur has allocated PHP3.5 million to buy the newly-harvested palay and milled rice from the local farmers. Officials say the move is part of the town's broader measures to contain the 2019 coronavirus disease. (Photo courtesy of Carrascal Municipal Agriculture Office)
BUTUAN CITY – The municipality of Carrascal in Surigao del Sur has set aside PHP3.5 million to buy agricultural products from its own farmers to ensure food sufficiency during the quarantine period.
Carrascal municipal agriculture officer Japhet Sugian said the local government's buying operations for fresh palay, milled rice, root crops, and other agricultural products from the local farmers started on April 6.
“The local government of Carrascal would like to ensure that we have enough supply of food for our people while under quarantine,” Sugian told the Philippine News Agency Thursday.
Sugian said the food sufficiency strategy is part of the municipality's containment measures against the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
He said Mayor Vicente H. Pimentel III has been granted by the municipal council PHP2 million to fund the initiative, including an additional PHP1.5 million from the Economic Development Fund (EDF).
“We have a total of PHP3.5 million funding for the project and our buying operations are continuing right now,” Sugian said.
Since last week, the town has already purchased more than 100 sacks of freshly-harvested palay and more than 200 bags of milled rice. He said that they are targeting around 600 bags of fresh palay by the end of this week as a lot of farmers now are making inquiries about the program.
Sugian said they are buying fresh palay from the farmers at PHP18 per kilo and the milled rice as PHP2,000 per bag of 50 kilograms.
“Our staff are now in the field visiting interested farmers. They are also recording the actual harvest being done in barangays,” he added.
He also said the local government provides free hauling services for the purchased farm products.
“The farmers themselves are required to claim the payment of their produce at the Municipal Hall. This is done to avoid bringing cash in the field for security purposes,” Sugian said.
During the whole implementation of the program until the end of May this year, the local government of Carrascal expects to purchase 180,000 kilograms or an estimated 3,200 bags of fresh palay and milled rice from the local farmers.
He added that the LGU has already signed a memorandum of agreement with the five rice mills and two mechanical dryer facilities in the town to process their purchased palay.
“The ultimate purpose of our initiative is to help our farmers and at the same time to ensure that the LGU can have a ready supply of rice for our second round of providing foods for our constituents affected by the quarantine due to Covid-19,” Sugian said.
He said Carrascal has a total land area of 400 hectares planted with palay as of the last planting season. (PNA)
