Cagayan de Oro City, 18 March – Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga with the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD) staff of the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) discussed on the implementation procedures related to foodlane accreditation.

This is to ensure unconstrained movement of agricultural commodities within Mindanao in light of the COVID-19 crisis during the issuances of community quarantine in the different areas of Mindanao.

The “Foodlane Project” is a tie-up program among DA, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) that seeks to institutionalize efficient and seamless distribution of agri-fishery products from production sites to the market demand centers.

This project entails the accreditation of suppliers and truckers of agri-fishery products which covers the following commodities: rice, perishable agricultural commodities such as fresh fruits and vegetables, livestock and poultry, frozen meat and processed food products.

Also included are feeds, fertilizers and other agricultural inputs and fishery commodities.

Eligible applicants are suppliers, delivery truckers and other related logistics/distribution entities registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with valid business permits that deliver food and/or agricultural produce, products and/or inputs.

Applicants can either apply in person or online through http://agribusiness.gov.ph or http://bit.ly/3aYJkBQ. The application requirements include: 1) official receipt of registration and certificate of registration (OR/CR) of the vehicle, 2) business permit, and 3) filled-up forms namely, foodlane accreditation application form, foodlane reference form and statement of commitment.

Certified true copies of the OR/CR and business permits can be submitted to amad1.northmin@gmail.com or in person.

DA-RFO 10 AMAD will issue the ‘Foodlane Sticker” and the Certificate of Accreditation which is valid for two years from the date of issuance.

For queries, please call Chedy V. Ansale 0917-422-2537/Joy Gementiza 0916-239-8830/Larry E. Paraluman 0915-107-9685.# (ATC)

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Cagayan de Oro, March 6 – Through Proclamation No. 224 s. 1988 declaring the first week of March each year as Women’s Week, DA-RFO 10 through its women’s employee association, held a film showing at the agency grounds, earlier today.

Centered on the theme: “We Make Change Work for Women”, said activity aimed to encourage employees through a brief feature, in contributing towards the promotion of gender equality and women empowerment. #

The Department of Agriculture – Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization finishes its three-day validation of Farmers’ Cooperative and   Associations (FCAs) today, March 06, 2020 in Lala, Lanao del Norte.

The validation of five (5) FCAs in the three towns of Lanao del Norte, namely: Tubod, Kapatagan and Lala was done to assess the FCAs’ needs in terms of provision of agricultural machinery and equipment.

The said FCAs may also avail of farm machinery and equipment through the Mechanization Component of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), as provided in the Rice Tarrification Law (RTL).

Said activity was done a day following the the first anniversary of the RTL which allocates Php5 billion through DA-PhilMech for the said component. # (AMBManto, DA-10)

Aiming to mechanize the rice industry in the region, the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PhilMech) – Region 10, with its provincial focal persons continue to validate the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) recipients of the 18 towns in Bukidnon.

Rice mechanization is one of the components of RCEF under the RA No. 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).

The RTL provides for the creation of the RCEF that would be sourcing its funds from rice tariff collections, with Php10 billion allocated annually for a period of six years starting 2019.

Of the Php10 billion budget, DA-PhilMech heading the mechanization component of RCEF is allocated Php5 billion for the provision of farm machineries and equipment (tillers, tractors, seeders, threshers, rice planters, harvesters) to qualified farmer organizations.

To avail this grant-in-kind machineries, farmer organizations should have at least 50 hectares of irrigated rice farmlands.

The DA-PhilMech provincial focal persons with the municipal agriculturists will verify the stability of the farmers organization, needs of the requested farm machinery, and inspect their respective farm areas.# (EMB)

Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 OIC- Regional Executive Director, Carlene C. Collado successfully defended DA-10’s proposed Php10.9 billion budget for CY 2021 during the Regional Development Council -X Advisory Committee Meeting chaired by Governor Philip T. Tan of Misamis Occidental on March 6, 2020, here in Cagayan de Oro City.

After satisfactorily passing scrutiny from the regional advisory committee, the proposed budget will be endorsed to the National Economic Development Council for further assessment and approval.

The budget will be utilized to fund the agency’s priority programs and projects in the five provinces and two highly urbanized cities in Northern Mindanao – Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, Camiguin, Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City.# (ATalib)

Maramag, Bukidnon, March 5 – Thirty farmers from the different provinces in Northern Mindanao completed the Inbred Rice Seed Production and Certification for Seed Growers Training course today, in this town.

Spearheaded by the DA-Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), aspiring seed growers learned on the cultural management practices relative to the growth stages of the rice plant, and the policies and guidelines on seed certification for inbred rice seed production.

To further enhance their capacity, the participants also went through field practicum on seedbed preparation, rouging and warehouse inspection with the DA-Bureau of Plant Industry – National Seed Quality Control Services (DA-BPI-NSQCS).

Under the Department of Agriculture (DA), NSQCS is responsible for certifying quality seed planting materials acquired by accredited seed growers.

The three-day training is one of the activities conducted simultaneously in the region, also in time with the first anniversary celebration of the Rice Tarrification Law (RTL) or Republic Act 11203, an act liberalizing the importation, exportation and trading of rice.

DA-ATI and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority share Php1-billion allocation from the Php10-billion total budget of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, intended for extension support and education of rice farmers.

This activity is supported by the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10, thru Provincial Operations Center Chief for Bukidnon Engr. Deliza T. Camaro and the Provincial Agriculture Office, headed by Engr. Alson G. Quimba.# (EMB)

The Department of Agriculture – Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization finishes its three-day validation of Farmers’ Cooperative and Associations (FCAs) today, March 06, 2020 in Lala, Lanao del Norte.

The validation of five (5) FCAs in the three towns of Lanao del Norte, namely: Tubod, Kapatagan and Lala was done to assess the FCAs’ needs in terms of provision of agricultural machinery and equipment.

The said FCAs may also avail of farm machinery and equipment through the Mechanization Component of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), as provided in the Rice Tarrification Law (RTL).

Said activity was done a day followingthe first anniversary of the RTL which allocates Php5 billion through DA-PhilMech for the said component. # (AMBManto, DA-10)

Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte, March 5 – To mark the first year anniversary of the Rice Tarification Law or RA 11203, around 650 rice farmers received certified inbred seeds under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) following the liberalization of the rice industry in the country.

Through the DA-PhilRice, farmers of said town benefitted the 1, 400 bags of certified inbred rice seeds, which will be planted on its 700 hectare- irrigated rice area.

Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office 10 OIC Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado has been emphasizing that said program is an intervention to help farmers increase yield and reduce cost amidst the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law.

Qualified farmers listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), each received a maximum of four bags at 20 kilograms per bag, depending on farm size, from 0.5 to 2 hectares.

In the said town, the NSIC Rc 222 rice variety was distributed which has an average yield of 6.1 tons and a maximum of 10 tons per hectare, according to PhilRice.

Aside from being a high yielding variety, it is resistant to pest and diseases and adapted to multi-stress. It has heavier grain than other rice varieties and performing well in different rice environments such as rain-fed, submerged and saline.

“Hindi ko inakala may tulong ang gobyerno kung saan hindi na kami bibili ng binhi. Ito’y isang malaking tulong sa aming mga magsasaka,” said Sambitore O. Sarip of barangay Payong of said town who availed the seed distribution.

Sultan Naga Dimaparo is the 4th rice producing municipality of Lanao del Norte with 2,000 hectare lowland rice area.

DA-PhilRice is set to distribute certified inbred rice seeds of the said town for the 1,100 rainfed farmer beneficiaries by April of this year.

The law provides for financial assistance for rice farmers to be sourced from the tariff collection of the P10 billion RCEF. Around P5 billion has been allocated for distribution of inbred seeds thru DA-PhilRice.#(ATCabig)

Cagayan de Oro, March 6 – Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) awarded certificates of accreditation to 186 Farmer Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs) as beneficiaries of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) during the RCEF Regional Program Coordinating Team Meeting.

These FCAs coming from the provinces of Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte and Misamis Oriental can avail the mechanization program under DA-PhilMech, while 72 applicants will undergo field validation.

Certificates of commitment under the mechanization component were given to the beneficiaries from the 20 RCEF identified municipalities in Region 10 amounting to Php103 million as part of the 40 percent budget release for 2019.

Handing over the certificates during the ceremony was DA-RFO 10 OIC-Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado, in the presence of Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga. #

CdeO, March 3 – The Regional Technical Committee of the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) of the DA-RFO 10 convened for the evaluation of its one applicant, the Skills Mastery Institute for Learning Entrepreneurship and Success (SMILES) Foundation, Inc.

RTD for Research and Regulations of DA-RFO 10 Carmelita T. Bajarla, who is also the chair of said committee emphasized that the evaluation process ensures that the applicant has the capacity to manage agri-fishery projects and programs.

Said accreditation is pursuant to DA Administrative Order No. 8 Series of 2017.

Accredited CSO will be the agency’s partner to efficiently and effectively carry out the implementation of agri-fishery projects and encourage peoples’ participation in agricultural development.

The committee is composed of representatives from DA’s attached agencies: BFAR, ATI, PCIC, PCC, FPA, BPI, BAI, PCA, NDA, PhilFIDA and the RAFC.

In Region 10, only the Maramag Community Multi-Purpose Cooperative is the accredited CSO of DA-RFO 10. #