Farmers urged to cluster

Mambajao, Camiguin – “With our goal of producing quality corn for food and feeds, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will bank on the different corn clusters.”

This statement was conveyed by Larry E. Paraluman, designated Agricultural Program Coordinating Officer for the provinces of Misamis Oriental and Camiguin and the Regional Corn Program Coordinator of the DA-Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RF0) during the conduct of an Information Caravan (InfoCar), in the province.

Should individual farmers agree to group themselves, he said that they will have volume in terms of production not only for corn but to include other agricultural commodities.

“Kung maka-comprise mo sa 200 hectares, naa mo’y usa ka corn cluster,” he explained.

Paraluman stressed the need to belong to a cluster, considering that it will easily facilitate farmers’ access in receiving assistance from the government.

“Diri nato plano ipamutang ang nagkalain-laing proyekto nga ipadangat sa DA…diri nato i-focus atong mga interventions sama sa technologies, inputs, human resource development, credit, post-harvest facilities, market infrastructure, natural resource endowments, information,” he clarified.

He further reported that, if and when, mechanization and irrigation will be added to the aforesaid interventions, he said that farmers could possibly plant corn and other crops all year round.

Rather than merely focusing on corn production, he also underscored that they should equip themselves to become entrepreneurs.

“Lantaw usab nga mahimo mong agribiz enterprise. Kon unsa inyo negosyo mobalik na sa inyo in the form of dividend or patronage refund,” Paraluman added.

As the island-province of Camiguin is known for its influx of tourists, he also encouraged the farmers to venture into value adding activities. “Kung aduna na mo’y cluster, naa na mo’y volume of production, dali ra makig-istorya sa mga hotel ug beach resort,” he said.

Among the products that corn farmers could specialize, Paraluman recommended, are sweet corn, corn milk, corn polvoron, corn coffee and biko nga mais.

For the year 2016, he revealed that the DA-RFO 10 through the Agri-Pinoy Corn Program has earmarked about P157 million to implement projects and services to advance the corn sector.

Of which, he detailed, that majority of the funds is apportioned to farm mechanization assistance (about P48 million), production support services (about P43 million) and post harvest facilities assistance (about P36 million).

Carrying the theme: Tukmang Impormasyon: Kaabag Mo alang sa Kalambuan sa Agrikultura taliwala sa Pagbag-o bag-o sa Klima, the one-day affair aims to promote and create awareness on the various banner programs and special projects of the DA, including its attached bureaus and agencies.

This is the second leg in the conduct of a series of InfoCar for the year, with the first conducted in the province of Lanao del Norte. Such will also be replicated in the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon and Misamis Occidental on June 3-4, June 10-11 and tentatively on June 25-26, 2015, respectively.

Nearly 200 farmers from the five towns of Camiguin have joined the event together with their municipal agriculturists. Local officials were likewise in attendance headed by Hon. Jurdin Jesus M. Romualdo, Provincial Governor; Miguel L. Ibahay, Sr., Chairman on the Committee of Agriculture, Sangguniang Panlalawigan; Engr. Renero G. Torion, Provincial Agriculturist and Hon. Roldan A. Chan, Vice Mayor of Mambajao. # (JLOlson, DA-RFO 10)