THE province of Zamboanga Sibugay has allotted P800,000 as it has expanded its program on agriculture to boost local corn production.
The program, known as the Agricultural Support to Farmers on Corn Production (ASFCP), is an agriculture-funded project of the provincial government that seeks to provide P10,000 capital with zero interest to corn farmers.
Zamboanga Sibugay Governor Wilter Yap Palma said the ASFCP is a zero-interest lending program of the provincial government for corn farmers implemented by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg).
A similar program is also being implemented by the OPAg for rice farmers. The loan is payable after harvest.
Aurelia Cababat, acting provincial agriculturist, said the ASFCP is the brainchild of Palma for a sustainable local agriculture production.
Cababat however said the farmers are required to adopt the organic farming method to be able to avail of the loan aid through the ASFCP.
Cababat said the ASFCP has already benefited 80 corn farmers covering 20 hectares from the municipalities of Ipil, Kabasalan, Naga, R.T. Lim and Tungawan.
Data from OPAg showed that 5,966.80 hectares of the agricultural lands of this province is devoted to corn farming. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)