THE Department of Agriculture (DA) turned over a total of P43,526,136.68 worth of farm equipment to 38 farmers’ associations in Pampanga.
DA Secretary William Dar, assisted by Governor Dennis “Delta” Pineda, personally awarded the certificates of grant to recipients from the municipalities of Magalang, Arayat, Floridablanca, Mexico, Lubao, Guagua, Candaba and San Luis during the event held at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center, City of San Fernando.
The said provision of farm equipment was made possible through the DA’s "Plant, Plant, Plant Program" or "Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat (Alpas) Laban sa Covid-19" program that aims to benefit farmers, fishers and consumers in the country.
“Napakaimportante ng papel ng mga magsasaka’t mangingisda sa pagpoprodyus ng pagkain, lalo na ngayong panahon ng pandemya. Sinabi ko naman na noon pa, the threat of hunger is as crucial as the threat of Covid-19 pandemic, kaya nararapat lamang na pagtuunan natin ng pansin ang pagpapalakas sa sektor ng agrikultura,” said Dar.
He also commended the region, particularly the province, for its huge contribution to ensuring food security during these trying times.
In an interview, Dar said their plan of putting up the country’s first agri-industrial business corridor (ABC) at the New Clark City, which is aimed at providing the smallholder farmers access to resources, including production technology, capital, and value-adding facilities.
He said the project will also help address the employment challenges in Pampanga, Tarlac and other neighboring provinces in Central Luzon, Northern Luzon and Cordillera.
Dar also said the national government has allocated P4.4-billion agricultural budget in Central Luzon. Of which, P1.3 billion is allotted to Nueva Ecija; P960 million to Bulacan; P889.2 million to Pampanga; P543 million to Tarlac; P265.5 million to Bataan; P244 million to Zambales; and P167.8 million to Aurora.
Pineda expressed his gratitude for the continuous support of the national government to the province’s efforts in responding to the needs of the people.
“Malaking bagay po ito para sa mga Kapampangan, kaya asahan po ninyo ang full support ng Pampanga sa lahat ng programa ng Kagawaran ng Agrikutura,” he said.