DA-10 through its Corn program turns over the P3.25-million hauling truck to the Kauyagan Savers MPC on April 1, at the Impasugong Municipal Hall. 

 

IMPASUGONG, BUKIDNON – To ensure support for the group’s efficient supply chain management, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10) through the Corn program turned over the P3.25 million (M) hauling truck to the Kauyagan Savers Multipurpose Cooperative (MPC) on April 1, at the Municipal Hall here.

Representing DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado, Bukidnon Provincial Operations Center chief Janet D. Lopez, DVM and Corn focal person Richan D. Lacanaria handed over the certificate of turnover and key of responsibility to the Local Government of Impasugong through Mayor Anthony A. Uy, and finally, to the benefitting group, the Kauyagan Savers MPC through its General Manager, Imelda H. Esteban.

With a six-metric-ton carrying capacity, the intervention is also aligned with the current agriculture secretary’s medium-term plan to boost agricultural productivity, lower food costs, attain food security, and advance the agri-fishery sector.

“This [the hauling truck] will help modernize and industrialize the agriculture chain in an inclusive way to enhance productivity, uplift rural people from poverty, improve livelihood and increase farmers’ income,” Lacanaria cited.

According to Kauyagan Savers MPC manager Esteban, the conferred transportation vehicle is for the priority use of the 250 farmer-members of the coop as of year-ended, who are engaged in the production, consolidation, and marketing of corn.

Aside from corn, they are currently consolidating coffee and abaca, which are coming from the indigenous people communities in the upland areas of the town and its adjacent municipality, Sumilao.

“We are an agri-based coop, and among our major services is into savings and credit, but we [coop] thought there is a need to enhance our agricultural enterprise because many of our members are into farming,” the coop official said, adding that their scope of membership and operations is province-wide, with focus on the mentioned two towns.

Likewise, the manager conveyed their gratitude for the provision, citing that collaboration and shared vision with the national and local governments in seeing the coop members enjoy a better quality of life, have been the key in providing the unit to the Kauyagan Savers MPC.

With the addition of the turned-over facility, she shared that the coop is set on embarking on brighter prospects, which include being an assembler for cassava, and at the same time, extending help for the vegetable gardeners in the locality to command fair prices for their produce.

For the agency’s part, Lacanaria lauded the cooperative, even more so that they are one among the recipients of the five hauling truck recently granted by the Corn program, and underscored in sustaining the government’s investment to them by apportioning a pool for funds to ensure the repair and maintenance of the unit.

“This victory [turnover of hauling truck] is not only for the employees and officials of Kauyagan, but for all the members of coop. Let us patronize the services and products of our coop and also follow the policies set forth by it.” Esteban remarked while enjoining her fellow coop members to help it thrive in the years to come.

Formed in 2044 with only 27 members, the Kauyagan Savers MPC is previously known as the Kauyagan Savers Cooperative. Chaired by Paul Richard A. Paraguya, it has now grown to around 2,600 members with additional services such as loans, bill payments, ATM services, and educational assistance.

Supporting the ceremony were Impasugong municipal agriculturist Engr. Roan R. Fernandez, in the presence of local and coop officials and members, and other regional and municipal agri staff. # (JLO)