A group of smallholder sugarcane farmers received a hauling truck worth Php800,000.00 from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to boost their farming activity and increase their income.

The Kabulacan Farmers Association of Matalam, North Cotabato received the hauling truck in consonance with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III to increase the livelihood production of the farmers.

After its formal turnover of the farm machinery to the sugarcane farmers’ group, it is expected that the hauling demands of the 150 hectares of sugarcane plantation in Barangay Kabulacan will increase, aside from the hauling requirements of other neighboring barangays.

Jenier Capindo, President of the Kabulacan Farmers Association, vowed to make the farm machinery an income-generating asset of their organization.

“This truck would greatly help us in bringing our products to the milling plant on time and at a lower hauling fee,” she said.

Capindo added that the farm machinery would not only serve them but also the neighboring communities, especially during the harvest and milling season.

“We would like to assure the DAR that the assistance given to us will be taken care of and managed properly," she said.

Aside from the hauling truck, the association was also provided with farm inputs for the demonstration farm and capability development training on climate change resiliency with a combined amount of Php64,000.00.

Evangeline Bueno, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer (PARPO) II, said the project is provided through funding support from the Major Crop-based Block Farming Project under the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Program (CRFPSP) of the DAR.

“The provision of the hauling truck as a common service facility is aimed to improve smallholder farmers' farm productivity and income while making them and their organization resilient to the adverse effects of climate change,” she said. 

Isang grupo ng mga malilit na magtutubong magsasaka ang nakatanggap ng hauling truck na nagkakahalaga ng Php800,000.00 mula sa Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) upang palakasin ang kanilang aktibidad sa pagsasaka at madagdagan ang kanilang mga kinikita.

Tinanggap ng Kabulacan Farmers Association ng Matalam, North Cotabato ang hauling truck alinsunod sa direktiba ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. kay DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III na pataasin ang produksyon pangkabuhayan ng mga magsasaka.

Matapos ang pormal na pagkakaloob ng makinaryang pangsaka, inaasahang tataas ang hauling demands ng 150 ektaryang tubuhan sa Barangay Kabulacan, bukod sa mga pangangailangan sa paghakot ng iba pang kalapit na barangay.

Sinabi ni Jenier Capindo, Pangulo ng Kabulacan Farmers Association, na nangangako ang mga miyembro ng asosasyon na gagawing income-generating asset ang makinarya.

“Ang trak na ito ay lubos na makatutulong upang madala namin ang aming mga ani sa milling plant ng nasa oras sa mas mababang halaga ng hauling fee,” aniya.

Idinagdag pa ni Capindo na hindi lamang sila ang makikinabang sa makinaryang pangsaka, kundi maging ang iba pang karatig komunidad, lalo na sa panahon ng pag-ani at paggiling.

“Sineseguro namin sa DAR na ang tulong na ipinagkaloob nila sa amin ay maalagaan at mapapamahalaan ng maayos,” aniya.

Bukod sa hauling truck, nabigyan din ang asosasyon ng mga farm input para sa kanilang demonstration farm at mga pagsasanay sa climate change resiliency na may kabuuang halaga na Php64,000.00.

Sinabi ni Evangeline Bueno, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer (PARPO) II, na ang proyekto ay naipagkaloob sa pamamagitan ng funding support mula sa Major Crop-based Block Farming Project under the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Program (CRFPSP) ng DAR.

“Ang probisyon ng hauling truck bilang common service facility ay naglalayong mapagbuti ang produktibidad at kita ng mga maliliit na magsasaka habang ang kanilang samahan ay pinatatatag laban sa masamang epekto ng pagbabago-bago ng klima,” aniya.