FARMERS' GOODS. The Liloan Farmers Association in Southern Leyte sells its harvests to different communities through the mobile market. The Department of Agrarian Reform on Thursday (May 7, 2020) said that 104 agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations in Eastern Visayas have earned more than PHP22.9 million for supplying food during the heightened community quarantine due to pandemic. (Photo courtesy of DAR Region 8)
TACLOBAN CITY – Some 104 farmers’ organizations in Eastern Visayas have earned more than PHP22.9 million for supplying food during the heightened community quarantine due to coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
These groups are assisted by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) as agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBO) in the region, of which, 30 are in Leyte, 21 in Eastern Samar, 20 in Samar, 15 in Northern Samar, eight in Southern Leyte, and seven in Biliran.
Their combined earnings cover from last week of March to the third week of April, said Stephen Leonidas, DAR Eastern Visayas regional director, in a statement on Thursday.
“I am impressed with the determination of these farmers to continue with their activities despite the current situation. They are not only earning but also contribute to the food sustainability in the region,” he added.
One of these ARBOs is from Alangalang, Leyte that has delivered 6,000 kilograms of rice to Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) here and some 270,000 kilograms to other rice buyers. EVRMC is the region’s referral hospital for Covid-19.
The Paglaum Farmers Association based in this city has already sold more than 6,000 kilos of assorted vegetables to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and other private entities.
Meanwhile, the local government of Calbiga in Samar gets the agricultural products from five ARBOs in the town to boost its food supply amid the health crisis and give variation to the canned goods commonly provided during relief operations.
Farm products include string beans, bottle gourd, eggplant, bitter gourd, banana, sweet potato, cassava, sweet pepper, gabi, pineapple, loofah, Baguio beans, tomato, okra, hot pepper, ginger, and papaya.
“Marketing tie-ups between ARBOs and potential buyers is also one of our support services provided by DAR to ensure that their harvests are linked to markets,” Leonidas said.
DAR has also issued quarantine accreditation passes to ARBOs to ensure the continuous and unhampered delivery of their agricultural products across the region. (PNA)
