Porac town hosts 5th Farmers' Day

PORAC -- Hundreds of farmers from this mountainside town attended the 5th Farmers Day event sponsored over the weekend by the Municipal Government, in coordination with Butil Farmers Party and the Provincial Government.

The event, aimed at providing an avenue to address farmers' issues here, was also a chance to give back farm-related assistance to farmers and farmer cooperatives given seeds, farm implements and other related inputs.

Butil Farmers Party, Governor Lilia Pineda and local officials of Porac town also contributed funding for the host of raffle prices that were given to the farmers who attended the event.

Mayor Condralito dela Cruz said the event is a yearly activity designed to maintain good relations with farmers and farmer cooperatives and address their concerns.

Dela Cruz said Porac has the biggest land area in the province and most of it is devoted to farming.

"There is also a portion of the town that is a very strong source of vegetables, particularly high value vegetables. We hope to assure our farmers that we recognize their importance in the community and that the local government is always ready to help in their needs," Dela Cruz said.

Butil Representative Agapito Guanlao added they have also set funding support for farmer cooperatives here that would be needing loans for farming inputs and machinery.

He said irrigation facilities and other post harvest facilities will also be set in the district to help local farmers here and other neighboring towns.

An P8-million integrated modern rice mill and drier facility will soon rise in Barangay Diladila in Sta. Rita town in a bid to boost palay-post harvest services and reduce farm expenses for farmers here and the whole of Pampanga's second district.

The facility is also expected to benefit farmers here who also produce rice during the wet cropping season. (Ian Ocampo Flora)