Among the interventions poured out to LGU Baliangao is the construction of a P5-M warehouse that aims to address farmers’ needs of having a storage area for their farm inputs, harvest, machineries and equipment for safekeeping, with accessibility to the production area; thereby, saving on hauling and other additional costs.   

 

BALIANGAO, MISAMIS OCCIDENTAL, November 25 – A total of P6.9-million (M) worth of various agri-interventions from the Department of Agriculture – Northern Mindanao (DA-10) were poured out to the Local Government Unit of Baliangao, Misamis Occidental at barangay Landing, this town.

Of the total amount, P5-M is apportioned for the construction of a warehouse. Said facility aims to address the farmers’ clamor of having a storage area for their farm inputs, harvest, machineries and equipment for safekeeping, with accessibility to the production area; thereby, saving on hauling and other additional costs.

“Majority of our constituents are farmers and they are in dire need of such facility, considering the town is home to 750 hectares of irrigated and 22 hectares rain fed rice areas,” Agne S. Yap, Sr., the municipal mayor cited.

With the impending establishment of the warehouse, Yap envisions a more developed and progressive agricultural sector in said town.

He challenged his staff to support more farmer-cooperatives and associations in drafting resolutions, assisting them in their project proposal preparation.

Funded by the Rice Program, the soon-to-rise warehouse has a total area of 255 square meters with a 252-ton capacity, which can hold about 5,000 sacks.

“Sa pagkakaron, ang mga mag-uuma gabaligya sa ilang abot sa P13-15 kada kilo sa kasikbit nga munisipyo kung diin pribado kini. Pero sa itukuray nga warehouse, mapondo na among abot ug mapalit kining bulto sa National Food Authority (NFA),” said Marlyn P. Gumahad, Landing Farmers Cooperative president and MAFC Baliangao.

(Currently, farmers are selling palay at P13-15 to neighboring towns which are privately-owned and operated.  With the availability of a warehouse, our harvest can be properly stored which can be bought in bulk by NFA.)

At the same time, about P1.9 million worth of various agri-interventions funded by the department’s Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) were handed over to the municipality.

This includes 2 units mobile rice mill, 3 units power tiller, 3 units hand tractor/multi-crop cultivator, 68 bags Open Pollinated Variety (OPV) corn seeds, 378 packs OPV vegetable seeds, 130 bags organic fertilizer, 46 boxes antibacterial sachets, 28 canisters wound spray, 49 packs vitamin A, D and E, and 11 boxes electrolytes-dextrose-nutrient celycine.

DA-RFO 10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado expressed, “the department sees the farmers as significant part of nation-building and assured that delivery of services will continue, especially during this ongoing pandemic.”

He hoped, that Baliangao will grow into one of the agricultural hubs in Misamis Occidental, as it is bounded with land and seascapes, adding for more interventions to be poured in to the town. # (John Carl R. Anito)