Wednesday, October 08, 2008 Fisheries bureau taps Landbank to finance seaweed farmers
WITH the increasing prices and demand of seaweeds, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Southern Mindanao has coordinated with the Landbank of the Philippines (LBP) to provide financial assistance to potential seaweed growers in Davao Region.
In an interview Tuesday, George Campeon, BFAR-Southern Mindanao regional director, said the undertaking has just started last month in Barangay Kinablangan in Baganga, Davao Oriental.
"The program in Baganga is a pilot activity, if it will push through and if it will make good results, then we will spread the program in other areas," Campeon said.
Campeon added that the convenors in the program also involve the consolidators in the seaweed industry, who will assure market for whatever produce the farmers will generate.
"LBP provides the financial assistance, the BFAR will provide the inputs and the technical trainings, and the consolidators will assure the market for farmers," he said.
Campeon added that the beneficiary of the program in Baganga is an association with 40 to 50 members.
"With the program, the production of seaweed seedlings will be ensured. Farmers will first produce the seedlings," Campeon said, adding that even prices of seaweed seedlings are also high nowadays.
Prices of seedlings are pegged between P20 to P23 per kilogram, while prices of dried seaweeds are placed at P80 per kilogram.
"We pushed for this program because the demand for seaweeds now is high and prices are also high, this is a good opportunity for farmers to plant," Campeon said.
Campeon said the LBP will be giving out loans for farmers up to P100,000. However, he claimed that the assistance from the LBP is still on process to be given out to farmers, adding that the farmers in Baganga have already started with the activity last month since the materials and other inputs provided by the BFAR, which cost P72,000, were already granted.
It was learned that BFAR has chosen Baganga as the pilot beneficiary of the program because it has an existing group, which was assisted by both municipal and provincial governments. (JGRS)
