DAR provides agri inputs to 2 farmer organizations

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Camarines Sur has provided a variety of agricultural inputs such as rice seeds, fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides to 13 members of the Caranan Farmers Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association (CFARBA) in Quitang, Pasacao, and 18 members of the Lirag Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative (LARFBCO) in Lirag, Bula, Camarines Sur.

The CFARBA received P325,000.00 worth of agricultural inputs, while LARFBCO got P450,000.00 of the same assistance.

Support services chief Augusto SA. Medina, Jr. said agricultural assistance will serve as groups’ start-up capital or supply for their agri-inputs trading business to provide everyday commonly used agricultural inputs for smallholder farmers in their communities.

The farmers in these areas normally buy their farming needs in town centers and others have to travel far to Naga City just to find their farming needs, said Medina.

The DAR in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continues to helpi agrarian reform farmer’ organizations or ARBOs through Convergence on Livelihood Assistance for ARBs Project or CLAAP, so that the farmers can establish various livelihood projects to augment their family’s income aside from those they derive from their farming activities.

During the turn-over of the project, Pasacao Mayor Nino Tayco expressed his gratitude to DAR and DSWD for providing the projects to his constituents.

“I am happy because there are government agencies like DAR and DSWD that continue bringing these worthwhile projects for our farmers in our communities,” Tayco said.

In Bula town, Engr. Jaime Abonita, LARFBCO chairperson, said he is confident that the project will bring progress to their organization little by little, and eventually supply the needs of the farmers.

“In these trying times, we should never quit trying. We have to try and try until we succeed,” said Abonita as he encouraged everyone to help each other and support their new business.

On separate occasions, DAR provincial officials and municipal personnel headed by Provincial Agrarian Reform Chief Gay L. Labad and Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Ricardo C. Garcia, attended the simple ceremonies on Mar. 3 in Pasacao and Mar.4 in Bula together with Carlito Aquino, representative of Provincial Agrarian Reform Coordination Committee (PARCCOM), and Mark Sierra of the Commission on Audit (COA), and municipal and barangay officials of said municipalities.