Farmer group receives rubber processing facility
KIDAPAWAN CITY, North Cotabato, June 15 (PIA) -- A DAR-assisted farmer association in Tulunan in North Cotabato recently received rubber processing facility amounting P100,000 from the Department of Trade and Industry, an official of the Department of Agrarian Reform here said.Marion Abella, provincial agrarian reform program officer, said the New Caridad United Farmers Association (NCUFA) received 1 rubber sheeter machine for Smallholder Village Level Processing Project from the DTI.
“The project is a big help to the agrarian reform beneficiaries in the area by gaining more income by converting raw rubber in latex form into processed rubber form such as dried sheets or smoked sheets using the simple processing equipment,” Abella said.
Abella also said that DAR will continue to look into the strengthening of the organization by providing capacity development trainings through its program beneficiaries division.
Meanwhile, Anthony Bravo, DTI-North Cotabato Provincial Director said that DTI Rubber Industry Cluster Group has been advocating for policies, programs and projects that would make the Philippine Natural Rubber Industry competitive.
“The provision of rubber sheeter machine is one of the interventions of DTI to increase farmers’ productivity along the value chain from production, processing and manufacturing of rubber based products,” Bravo said.
“The association should now be responsible in making the project operational and in expanding their business in the future if the results are positive in terms of impact on the income of the members,” Bravo said.
Bravo also challenged the beneficiaries to focus on the quality of the produce in order to compete in the world market.
Shirley Montano, chairperson of the NCUFA thanked DTI for its support through training and equipment for their association can start a small rubber processing project.
“We are confident on the success of the project because of the support of DTI and DAR who will assist us in the marketing of the processed rubber sheets. We also want the project to be replicated so that more rubber growers in the barangay will be benefited.”
The New Caridad United Farmers Association is also a proponent of corn production, milling, and marketing sub-project of the DAR-Mindanao Sustainable Agrarian and Agriculture Project. (DEDoguiles-PIA 12 with report from DAR North Cotabato)
Source: http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1611434344362/farmer-group-receives-rubber-processing-facility
