THE Department of Agriculture (DA) distributed some transport, marketing and farm machineries amounting to P2.6 million to farmer cooperatives in Nueva Ecija.
This was made possible by the Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) through the I-Reap Component. The distribution was held at the Bonifacio Multipurpose Cooperative on August 4 in Cabanatuan City.
The turnover ceremony was led by Governor Aurelio Umali, together with Cuyapo Municipal Mayor Florida Esteban, Provincial Project and Management and Implementing Unit (PPMIU) head Ferdinand Abesamis, PPMIU focal person Jovita Agliam, I-Reap focal person Lucita Dela Cruz and Municipal Agriculturist Orlando Ramos.
The agricultural machineries include a six-wheeler truck, motorcycle with kolong-kolong, water tank, pressurized water tank, grass cutter (two units), mechanical weighing scale and electronic register to be utilized under the subproject "Consolidation and Marketing of Goats with Multiplier and Contract Growing."
The brand new equipment is seen to provide the latest production technologies for member and non-member goat raisers to produce more and better goats to be marketed, thus a 20 percent increase in the number of goat farmers with improved access to DA services.
To recall, the subproject focuses on production, consolidation and marketing of native and mestizo goats, as well as on the production of F1 and F2 goat breeders.
Also, consolidation and marketing enterprise through a livestock trading post is intended to buy and sell native goats for consumption. The production component has two enterprises; Multiplier Farm that will produce F2 breeders and Contract Growing Enterprise that will produce F1 breeders that are ready for slaughter.
The coop-beneficiaries lauded the DA-PRDP for its relentless support to innovate and harness the needs of farmers for sustainable development and assured the maintenance of the farm equipment.