DEPARTMENT of Agriculture in northern Mindanao (DA-10) is eyeing the establishment of another pilot areas in region-10 to 6,288-hectare rice-farm in Lala town in Lanao del Norte, a statement from the department said Saturday.
DA-10's Farm and Fisheries Clustering and Consolidation (F2C2) Program in Lala town is to further increase region’s food production capacity, it said.
Lala town's 6,288 hectares of rice area is the 53 DA-accredited and LGU-assisted Farmer Associations and Cooperatives (FCAs) engaged in rice farming that generated a total 40,391 metric tons harvested palay in the last wet cropping season.
“We have significantly facilitated the granting of numerous agricultural assistance to our farmers" said Lala municipal agriculturist Dodirico Cuaresma.
For those farmers who have not yet received assistance from the previous DA's programs, they can now receive through F2C2.
Rice farmer associations in Lala are recipients of various agricultural inputs, farm machineries and equipment, and agricultural infrastructure projects from DA-10, according to Cuaresma.
Given Lala’s potential as one of the region’s top rice producers identified as recipient of the F2C2 Program.
“The LGU of Lala vowed to continuously support our rice farmers, and we will be more than willing to be part of DA’s rice production projects in the region” Cuaresma said.
As a requirement, clustered F2C2 rice areas should reach a minimum of 100 hectares and each area should be adjacent to one another and located in the same municipality or congressional district.
Lanao del Norte’s provincial agricultural officer Letecia Ditucalan said the province is highly welcoming and supportive of all DA’s projects in the province.
“We will never say no to any agri development projects," said Ditucalan adding that as LGU, they will provide and help to implement the project.
Ditucalan also said that the provincial government is now gearing towards a more inclusive rice production program, by fostering both the lowland and highland rice areas in Lanao del Norte.
As the palay buying price in the province recently lowers due to peak harvest season, she disclosed the provincial government has been buying the farmers’ produce for the province’s Grains Processing Center.
She said the palay were purchased at a price at least one peso higher than the prevailing farmgate price in assistance to the rice farmers.
PSA reported that Lanao del Norte ranked second after Bukidnon, in terms of rice area harvested in Northern Mindanao as of the second quarter of 2020.
The province contributed 32.2 percent of the region’s palay production for the period mentioned.
Pilot implementation of the F2C2 in Lanao del Norte required the clustering of identified farmer organizations, and consolidation of their production areas to form a network of specialized farm producers.
Favored FCAs will be provided financial support, scholarships, information and technology assistance aside from regular agricultural interventions, under the DA’s F2C2 Program.
These interventions are anticipated to improve the FCAs’ operations.
The DA-10 is now suiting-up for pilot implementation of the F2C2 in Northern Mindanao by identifying strategic areas for clustered and consolidated rice, corn and other grains, high value crops, livestock and organic agriculture production in the region. (Angie Cabig and Azbie Talib/Da-10)
