DA Secretary Aims Increased Corn Production, Turns Over Projects Anew

 The Department of Agriculture (DA) aims to increase corn production in Cebu and other areas where the crop is suitable to help ensure enough food stock during the lean months.

    This was recently announced by DA Secretary Proceso Alcala during a brief stop at the agency’s regional office in Mandaue City to turn over projects to representatives of farmers’ organizations.  The Secretary was to speak during the opening of  the 60th PHILSUTECH convention in Cebu City.

    The DA Secretary stressed that the country is now almost food staples sufficient, and credited the Filipino farmers for this status.  He said that after about 40 years, the country is now selling fancy and organic rices to the United Arab Emirates, and isl now receiving repeat orders.  DA will continue its   endeavor  of  matching  the farmers’ produce  with possible markets, he added.

    Among the recipients of the approximately P 14.4 M agriculture projects turned over  by Secretary Alcala were the Asturias Balamban Communal Irrigators Association and Arpile-Buanoy Irrigators Service Association of Balamban, Cebu that received a hand tractor    valued at P128,500 each, Bulak (Dalaguete)  Irrigators’ Association -(floating tiller worth  P87,900); Barili Rice Farmers Irrigators Association -  rice thresher (P106,700);  municipalities of Asturias, Poro, Pilar, San Francisco and Tudela – one unit each of  four-wheel drive tractors  worth P2,400,000;

    Cebu City - plastic drums and knapsack sprayers (P1,609,000); Argao -  two concrete small farm reservoirs (P150,000),  LGU  Dalaguete -   cultivator/tiller  valued at P250,000, and CAMPINSA  MANIPES Multipurpose Cooperative - five heads working animals with plow worth P175,000.

    Aside from farmers’ representatives, the event was also attended by local government executives, among them Cebu  Mayors Teresito Mariñas(Barili), Alan Adlawan (Asturias), Wilson Wenceslao (Santander) and Erwin Yu (Tudela).

    The dancing of the National Year of Rice (NYR) by local staff highlighted the short turn-over program. (rafis/msp talagon).

Secretary Alcala hands turnover certificate of five working animals with plows to officers of Talisay City’s CAMPINSA MANIPES Multipurpose Cooperative headed by Terencio Parame (4^th from left), witnessed by OIC Regional Executive Director Angel Enriquez (2^nd from left) and OIC Regional Technical Directors Tomasita Cadungog and Joel Elumba (extreme left and right, respectively).