AGRICULTURE

BASILAN -With a boom on road constructions in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the dividends of development by way of billions of pesos are beginning to pour into the southern provinces.
The latest bit of international largesse comes from John Paul C. Perrine, the company President of Unifrutti Group of Companies who proposed a 4,000 hectares of land in Basilan Province to be planted with Bananas.

KIDAPAWAN CITY -Some P4 million would be allotted for cloud seeding in areas in North Cotabato expected to be hit by severe drought. Cotabato 1stdistrict Board Member Loreto Cabaya, chair of the Committee on Agriculture at theSangguniang Panlalawigan, said of the amount, at least P3.5 million would come from the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) of the Department of Agriculture in Region 12 and the rest from the Cotabato provincial government.

COTABATO CITY -The Department of Agrarian Reform of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DAR-ARMM) held on Tuesday, September 8, its first Regional Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) Congress at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex here.Bearing the theme Mga kwento ng lupa at agrikultura ay musika ng mapayapa at masagang buhay (Stories of land and agriculture are music of a peaceful and prosperous life),” the congress underscored the accomplishments of the agency under its regional secretary, Amihilda Sangcopan.

KORONADAL CITY - The law of supply and demand was seen as the reason in theslump of corn prices in South Cotabato, Justina Navarette, provincial agriculture officer, said.Navarette said corn production in the province has increased tremendously the past harvest season causing its price to drop.She said the most affected town in the buying price of corn grains was Banga, known as the corn capital of South Cotabato.

KIDAPAWAN CITY - The North Cotabato provincial government has recommended the
conduct of cloud seeding operations this month ahead of the feared El Nino
phenomenon.

It aims to cushion the impact of the dry spell and
maintain productivity of farmers, especially corn and palay producers. Last year, North Cotabato was No. 1 palay and
corn producer of Region 12.

KIDAPAWAN CITY - In an effort to propagate the rubber industry in North Cotabato, the provincial agriculture office has distributed 7,300 budded rubber seedlings to 15 public schools.Engr. Eliseo Mangliwan, provincial agriculturist, said recipient of the program are schools of President Roxas that are situated in theArakan
Valley Development Complex of North Cotabato.He said the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg) will closely monitoring the seedlings until its survival rate reaches 75 percent. It is part of the Industrial
Crops Development Program of OPAg.

KORONADAL CITY --- The agriculture department launched here P1.3 billion worth of new projects for peasantcommunities in Central Mindanao as interventions meant to improve agricultural productivity in the region.Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and Amalia Jayag-Datukan, director of the Department of Agriculture in Region 12, led the launching on Thursday of the projects and the dispersal of more development packages to different organizations at a local venue.Alcala’s engagement last Thursday with local peasants and fisherfolks was his third since January.The new interventions benefitti

MIDSAYAP, North Cotabato - An inspection andmonitoring conducted by theNational Economic Development Authority (NEDA-12) is now on going in one of the region's flagship project - the Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project (MalMar) in Aleosan and Pikit, North Cotabato.Engr. Noldin Oyod, MMIP project manager, said the NEDA team would like to find out if the multi-billion project is done according to designed standards and program of works.The MMIP in North Cotabato and Maguindanao is more than 15 years in the making havingstarted in 1989.

DATU ABDULLAH SANGKI - A multi-national banana plantation here has resumed operation after the local government issued the green light, eight days after LGU suspended its operation due to lack of permits and other issues.Town Councilor Anwar Emblawa said MayorBai Mariam Sangki-Manguadatu on July 7 issued the suspension of operation of Delinanas Banana Plantationafter a reconciliation dialogue” failed to produce results.The issues includesnon-payment of rentals, renewal of business permits and other fees, damaged crops and the disregard on the nomination of the landowners to be employed i

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- The provincial government of North Cotabato today continued its Seedlings Dispersal Program with 280 small farmers from five towns receiving seedlings of oil palm and cacao, officials said. These farmers were from the municipalities of Kabacan, Carmen, M’lang, Antipas and Tulunan. The turn-over held at Triple P Farm in Barangay Katidtuan, Kabacan was led by North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza and Provincial Agriculturist Engr. Eliseo M. Mangliwan handed oil palm seedling to some 240 farmers to be planted in their respective nurseries or farms.