North Cotabato farmers’ groups earn P2.8-M amidst health crises

Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary John R. Castriciones lauded the sixteen (16) DAR-assisted agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) in North Cotabato for earning a combined gross sale of P 2,897,931.00, despite the difficulties brought by the community quarantine due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Castriciones said the 16 ARBOs from North Cotabato include the Bagolibas Multipurpose Cooperative (MPC) , Birada Martinez ARB Landowners Association, B'laan Klayag Amda De Du Sansato ARB Cooperative, Comprehensive Producers Association, Kalawaig Water Sanitation Association, Kisandal MPC, Liliongan Farmers’ Association, Malapag Farmers’ Association, Malatab Women's Association, Mua-An Small Coconut Farmers Association, Nalpan Farmers’ MPC, New Leon MPC, Nuangan ARB Association, Perez ARB Rag Weavers Association, Perez ARB Rubber Farmers Association, and Sto. Niño Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative.

“I am pleased to know that amidst the crisis, they still managed to earn incomes to sustain the financial needs of their respective families as well as to contribute in sustaining food security in the country,” Castriciones said.

The gross income earned by the ARBOs were sourced out from the sales of their farm produce which they harvested from April to May of this year. Among the food products marketed by the ARBs include cardava banana, watermelon, mongo beans, and coconut. Non-food products comprise of rubber cup lumps, oil palm, doormats, broom sticks, and soft brooms.

Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Reynaldo Anfone said that the authority given by the Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID- 19 to the DAR to issue quarantine accreditation passes helped the ARBs and ARBOs to transport and continue marketing their products amid the pandemic.

“During the whole duration of the enhanced community quarantine, DAR ensured the continuous movement of food and non-food supplies of the farmers to the marketplace. Even if we are now under the general community quarantine, the DAR personnel in the province continuously helped the ARBs in every possible way they can,” Anfone said.

Anfone added that aside from marketing farmers’ agricultural products, the DAR also assisted some of the ARBOs engaged in livestock production by helping them look for buyers in the local market.

“I am proud of these ARBOs, that even during these trying times they continue to serve as frontliners in producing essential goods needed for our daily consumption,” Anfone said.

Organisasyon ng mga magsasaka sa North Cotabato kumita ng P2.8M sa gitna ng krisis pang-kalusugan

Pinuri ni Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary John R. Castriciones ang labing-anim (16) na mga agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) sa North Cotabato dahil sa nakamit nilang kabuuang kita na P2,897,931.00, sa gitna ng hirap na dulot ng community quarantine dahil sa pandemyang epekto ng Covid-19.

Sinabi ni Castriciones na ang mga ARBOs na ito sa North Cotabato ay kinabibilangan ng Bagolibas Multipurpose Cooperative (MPC) , Birada Martinez ARB Landowners Association, B'laan Klayag Amda De Du Sansato ARB Cooperative, Comprehensive Producers Association, Kalawaig Water Sanitation Association, Kisandal MPC, Liliongan Farmers’ Association, Malapag Farmers’ Association, Malatab Women's Association, Mua-An Small Coconut Farmers Association, Nalpan Farmers’ MPC, New Leon MPC, Nuangan ARB Association, Perez ARB Rag Weavers Association, Perez ARB Rubber Farmers Association, at Sto. Niño Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative.

“Natutuwa ako na sa kabila ng krisis ay nakuha pa rin nilang kumita upang masustentuhan ang pangangailangan ng kani-kanilang mga pamilya at gayun din upang magbigay ng kontribusyon sa seguridad sa pagkain ng bansa,” ani Castriciones.

Ang kabuuang kinita ng mga ARBOs ay nagmula sa pagbebenta nila ng kanilang mga naaning mga produkto mula noong Abril hanggang Mayo ng kasalukuyang taon. Ang mga makakaing mga produktong ay kinabibilangan ng saging na saba, melon, munggo at niyog. Samantalang kabilang naman sa mga iba pa nilang naibennta ay ang rubber cup lumps, palm oil, walis, door mats, bunot, at iba pa.

Sinabi ni Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Reynaldo Anfone na dahil sa awtoridad na ipinagkaloob ng Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on COVID- 19 sa DAR upang makapag-isyu ng quarantine accreditation pass ay natulungan nila ang mga ARBs at ARBOs upang maibyahe at maibenta nila ang kanilang mga produkto sa gitna ng krisis.

“Sa kahabaan ng enhanced community quarantine, sineguro ng DAR ang patuloy na pag-galaw ng mga produktp ng mga magsasaka upang makararating ang mga ito sa merkado. Kahit na ngayong nasa general community quarantine na kami, ang mga tauhan ng DAR ay patuloy pa ring umaalalay sa mga ARBs sa abot ng aming makakaya,” ani Anfone.

Dagdag pa ni Anfone na bukod sa pagtulong sa pagbebenta ng mga produkto ng mga magsasaka, tinulungan din ng DAR ang mga ARBOs na nasa produksyon ng paghahayupan sa pamamagitan ng paghahanap ng mga mamimili ng kanilang mga alagang hayop sa local na merkado.

“Ipinagmamalaki ko ang aming mga ARBOs dahil sa gitna ng krisis ay patuloy silang naglingkod bilang mga frontliners sa pagtatanim ng mga produkto para sa ating pang araw-araw na mga pangangailangan,” sabi ni Anfone.

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