Northern Samar farmers get farm machinery and equipment from DAR

The turnover of the symbolic key of responsibility to the Cervantes Integrated Organic Farmer Association (CIOFA) in Catarman Northern Samar.

Catarman, Northern Samar – The Cervantes Integrated Organic Farmer Association (CIOFA) in Northern Samar received from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) farm machinery and equipment to sustain and provide productivity in their farmlands.

Rosemarie R. Balanquit, DAR Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer, said the project is implemented through the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP) program, a government initiative that aims to mitigate hunger, ensure food security, and establish sustainable agriculture in the country.

“The agency provides different support services to help the farmers uplift their lives. The agrarian reform beneficiary organization (ARBO) members only need to be active participants in these projects so that assistance from the government will not be put to waste,” Balaguit said.

Members of the CIOFA beside the distributed farm machinery, tools, and other equipment.

Emerita Anabe, chief agrarian reform program officer, oriented the CIOFA members on their roles and responsibilities in maintaining the tools and equipment, as well as the role of the agency in coordinating with the different suppliers and government offices to ensure that all the products would be sold and promoted.

Jocelyn Ballicud, municipal agrarian reform officer, encouraged the members to be united particularly in making sound decisions to improve their organization.

“Make your income as an asset to strengthen your organization,” she said.

The chariot 175 with roof and windshield provided to the members of CIOFA.

Included among the farm machinery and tools provided to help the farmers establish sustainable organic vegetable production are the following: one (1 ) unit chariot 175 with roof and windshield, two (2) units grass cutter with complete accessories, three (3) units 16-liter capacity manual sprayer, ten (10) units mattocks, ten (10) units grab hoe, ten (10) units spade, ten (10) units rake, ten (10) units hand trowel, 20 units garden bolo, 15 pairs of rubber boots, five (5) units plastic mulch, and seeds.

Nestor C. Esplago, CIOFA President expressed his gratitude to the agency for the various assistance and encouraged the members to continue their active participation to maintain the organization.

CIOFA is already a recipient of various programs of the department to improve their agri-business enterprise, which includes one (1) unit tractor for organic vegetable production under the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Project (CRFP) and egg layers provided under Convergence on Livelihood Assistance for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Project (CLAAP) for their poultry projects.

Currently, CIOFA has fifty (50) active members, with thirty (30) ARBs and twenty (20) non-ARBs.

Mga magsasaka ng Northern Samar nakatanggap ng mga makinarya at kagamitang pangsaka mula sa DAR

Nakatanggap ang Cervantes Integrated Organic Farmer Association (CIOFA) sa Northern Samar mula sa Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) ng mga makinarya at kagamitang pangsaka upang mapanatili at magbigay ng produktibidad sa kanilang mga lupang sakahan.

Ayon kay Rosemarie R. Balanquit, DAR Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer, ang proyekto ay ipinatupad sa ilalim ng Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP) program, isang inisyatiba ng pamahalaan na naglalayong mabawasan ang kagutuman, tiyakin ang seguridad sa pagkain at maitatag ang napapanatiling agrikultura sa bansa.

“Ang ahensya ay may iba't ibang suportang serbisyo upang matulungan ang mga magsasaka na maiangat ang kanilang buhay. Kailangan na maging aktibong kalahok sa mga proyektong ito ng mga miyembro ng agrarian reform beneficiary organization (ARBO) para hindi masayang ang mga tulong mula sa gobyerno,” ani Balanguit.

Tinalakay ni Emerita Anabe, chief agrarian reform program officer, ang mga tungkulin at responsibilidad ng mga miyembro ng CIOFA sa pagpapanatili ng mga kasangkapan at kagamitan, gayundin ang papel ng ahensya sa pakikipag-ugnayan sa iba't ibang mga supplier at mga tanggapan ng gobyerno upang matiyak na ang lahat ng mga produkto ay maibebenta at maipo-promote.

Hinikayat ni Jocelyn Ballicud, municipal agrarian reform officer, ang mga miyembro na magkaisa lalo na sa paggawa ng mga tamang desisyon para mapabuti ang kanilang organisasyon.

“Palaguin ninyo ang inyong kita at gawin ito bilang isang asset upang mapalakas ang inyong organisasyon,” aniya.

Kasama sa mga makinarya at kagamitang pangsaka na ibinigay upang tulungan ang mga magsasaka na magtatag ng napapanatiling produksyon ng organikong gulay ay ang mga sumusunod: isang (1) unit ng chariot 175 na may bubong at windshield, dalawang (2) unit ng grass cutter na may kumpletong accessories, tatlong (3) unit ng 16-liter capacity manual sprayer, sampung (10) unit ng mattocks, sampung (10) unit ng grab hoe, sampung (10) unit ng spade, sampung (10) unit ng rake, sampung (10) unit ng hand trowel, 20 unit ng garden bolo, 15 pares ng rubber boots, limang (5) unit ng plastic mulch, at mga binhi.

Nagpahayag ng pasasalamat sa ahensya si Nestor C. Esplago, Presidente ng CIOFA, dahil sa iba't ibang tulong nito sa organisasyon at hinikayat din niya ang kanyang mga miyembro na ipagpatuloy ang kanilang aktibong pakikilahok upang mapanatili ang organisasyon.

Ang CIOFA ay una nang tumanggap ng iba't ibang programa ng departamento para mapahusay ang kanilang agri-business enterprise, na kinabibilangan ng isang (1) unit tractor para sa organic vegetable production sa ilalim ng Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Project (CRFP) at egg layers na ibinigay sa ilalim ng Convergence on Livelihood Assistance para sa Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Project (CLAAP) para sa kanilang mga poultry project.

Sa kasalukuyan, ang CIOFA ay mayroong limampung (50) aktibong miyembro, na may tatlumpung (30) ARB at dalawampung (20) hindi ARB.