By Teng L. Datu
Cotabato City Bureau Chief
Datu Piang, Maguinda-nao — The Humanitarian and Development Assistance Program of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has turned over two units of multi-purpose solar drying pavements, worth P400,000 each, to cooperatives in barangays Poblacion and Dado in Datu Piang.
Sonora Dagadas, municipal agriculture officer of Datu Piang, said the new drying facilities will directly benefit as many as 3,000 farmers not only from this town but from other areas in the province as well.
“Ang mga drying pavements na ito ay bukas para sa lahat ng farmers. Katu-lad dito sa Brgy. Poblacion, may approximately 100 farmers tayo rito, at lahat sila ay makakagamit nito. Talagang malaking tulong ito para sa kanila,” Dagadas added.
The beneficiary-farmers in Datu Piang are members of cooperatives, which own the land where the solar drying pavements were constructed. The cooperatives donated the pavement sites to help their members in the production of their products.
“Malaki ang pasasalamat namin sa gobyerno na binigyan kami ng libreng solar dryer dahil di na kami mahihirapang pumunta sa malayong lugar para lang magpatuyo ng ani. Di na rin kami kailangan magbayad ng renta,” Saida Ungkakay, 60, chairman of the Farmers Association Cooperative in Brgy. Poblacion, said.
“Yung perang binaba-yad namin sa rent ay magagamit na namin sa ibang bagay katulad ng pandagdag gastos sa pagmi-mill ng palay,” added Malaguia Pakan-dang, 60, also a member of the farmers’ cooperative.
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