Valencia City farmers receive assistance from the DA-10 through its Fuel Assistance to Farmers Project.

 

Valencia City, Bukidnon – The Department of Agriculture – Northern Mindanao (DA-10) helmed by Regional Executive Director Jose Apollo Y. Pacamalan rolled out about P2.934-million (M) in fuel subsidy to farmers who own or rent functional agricultural machinery for food production.

On August 19, at the Gymnasium and Cultural Center, here, some 978 eligible farmers received their fuel assistance allocation worth P3k each which was loaded into the DA Intervention Monitoring Card (IMC), issued in partnership with the Universal Storefront Services, Corp.

Per implementing guidelines of the Fuel Assistance to Farmers Project for FY 2023, the fuel subsidy aims to temper the farmers’ brunt on fuel expenses, which forms part of the important operating costs in farming; thereby, enhancing their resiliency and cushioning the impact of the surge of oil price hikes in the agricultural sector.

Eligible recipients are either individual farmer or farmer-member of a Farmer Cooperative, Association (FCA) with proof of machinery ownership or rental agreement uploaded in the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Management Information System (ABEMIS), and further, they must be listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).

Supporting the event is Valencia City Mayor Azucena P. Huervas, who has put a premium on the provision of fuel assistance from the national government through the DA, noting that farmers in the locality are coping as well with the El Niño-triggered effects on their planting and other farm operations.

DA-10’s partner on the ground in the validation of farmer-beneficiaries, the city agriculture’s office of Valencia headed by Connie L. Dalangan, congratulated the farmers to have been granted intervention by the government, as the fuel assistance will help mechanize and modernize their agricultural production systems.
“I hope that you have felt the presence and sincerity of the government, that through this gesture [of providing fuel subsidy], it may serve as an inspiration [to all our farmers] to work even harder to augment their yield and income.” the city agriculturist remarked.

Spearheaded by the Regional Agricultural Engineering Division of the DA-10, the agency is set to cap off this week’s fuel assistance distribution tomorrow, August 20, in Kitaotao town, where P1.212-M will be dispensed to 404 farmers, in the said locality via their DA IMC.# (JLO)