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Monday, August 22, 2005
S. Cotabato eyes subsidy for farmers
IN A bid to ensure food security, South Cotabato officials are planning to set up a subsidy scheme for poor farmers in the province's 10 towns and lone city.
Provincial Board member Antonio Damandaman, chair of the committee on agriculture, said he would propose a measure that would allow the provincial government to provide regular production subsidies for palay and corn farmers.
"This would be in the form of palay and corn seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and other required production inputs," he said in a radio interview.
Damandaman said he proposed the scheme following reports that many palay and corn farmers in the province have failed to plant during the current cropping season due to lack of resources.
He said some were able to plant but they sourced their inputs on credit from local financiers.
Damandaman said most of these financiers impose high interests that farmers almost end up with nothing when the harvest season comes.
Damamdaman said the local government should act on the plight of the poor farmers by offering regular subsidies and other agricultural assistance such as training and technical consultations.
"Through this, we may be able to reverse the current trend wherein our farmers are becoming more dependent on financiers. By offering subsidies, we could ensure that they could plant, earn a substantial income and eventually contribute to our food security," he said.
The provincial earlier offered subsidies to local palay and corn farmers for the purchase of certified palay seeds under a "50-50" scheme.
The province, as a form of financial assistance, guaranteed P1,000 per sack and P400 per sack payment for corn and palay seeds, respectively.
The farmer-beneficiary pays for the balance of the cost per sack of the certified seeds.
Aside from this, Damandaman said he would also negotiate with the National Food Authority (NFA) to open up a ready market for the corn and palay harvests of the beneficiaries.
He cited that under the NFA's food security program, the food agency is mandated to accept a certain level of harvests to increase its stocks.
"We will consult with the NFA how we could work hand in hand with this program. But our goal is to arrange certain mechanisms that would ensure the delivery of the harvest of our farmers to them and eventually to the local markets," Damandaman added. (Allen V. Estabillo)
For Bisaya stories from General Santos.Click here. (This section is updated every Monday)
(August 22, 2005 issue)
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