DA-10 partners with FCOF, IP farmers’ group for Food Terminal operations

 

TALAKAG, BUKIDNON – Aiming to support indigenous communities in Bukidnon, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) signed a memorandum of agreement on August 8, with the FICCO Community Outreach Foundation, Inc. (FCOF) and the Miarayon Lapok Lirongan Tinaytayan Talaandig Tribal Association (MILALITTRA) to operationalize the PhP14-million (M) worth Food Terminal, in Brgy. Miarayon, here.

The said collaboration will launch the 1Coop Marketplace Project, which aims to establish a trading and storage area for farmers’ crops and produce. Under the agreement, MILALITTRA will ensure the continuous supply of agricultural produce, while FCOF will handle the marketing.

In his message, DA-10 Regional Executive Director Jose Apollo Y. Pacamalan said the terminal is expected to serve farmers from Talakag town and other nearby communities.

To support the project, the agency has also provided agricultural assistance, such as vegetable seeds, fertilizers and garden tools.

The agri chief executive also shared the agency’s plans to establish a Provincial Operations Center sub-office in the municipality and build tramline systems to transport vegetables directly to the terminal’s cold storage facility, which is expected to significantly reduce post-harvest losses, as well as transport cost and time.

Roy U. Luminda, spokesperson for MILALITTRA’s Ancestral Domain Management Office, expressed his gratitude, saying: “With the support of FICCO and the DA, small-scale farming can pave the way for sustainable living and inclusive development.”

This initiative aligns with the department’s overarching goals under President Marcos’s administration in promoting food security and advancing the agri-fishery sector by improving post-harvest systems, infrastructure, and market access.# (AMBM)