Farmers in Cordillera to benefit from P130M DA agricultural aid

La Trinidad, Benguet - Farmers in the Cordillera region are set to benefit from a P130 million agricultural aid provided by the Department of Agriculture on January 26, 2024.

A turnover ceremony took place in La Trinidad, Benguet, on the said day, led by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.

The assistance includes farm machineries and supplies such as four-wheel tractors, hand tractors, transplanters, seeders, rice reapers, harvesters, rice mills, recirculating dryers, multi-cultivators, vegetable seeds, ameliorants, and high-density polyethylene pipes.

Moreover, each province in the region will receive at least one trading post for market access for agricultural producers and community irrigation projects.

In a press release, the Department of Agriculture in the Philippines stated that the project aims to increase vegetable production, promote crop diversification, and enhance post-harvest facilities to stabilize farmers' earnings and vegetable supplies.

The funds will be sourced from the agency’s Philippine Rural Development Project Scale-up, which has already invested P2.73 billion in 104 completed infrastructure and enterprise sub-projects in Cordillera.

During the ceremony, Secretary Laurel emphasized the importance of collaboration and cooperation in improving the situation of agricultural stakeholders.

“Improving the situation of the agricultural stakeholders is not an easy task, but with the collaboration and cooperation of everybody, achieving the goal of making the lives of farmers better is achievable,” he said.