Big bulk of DA-12's budget up for 2015
Breaking News • 19:11 PM Wed Dec 24, 2014
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By:
Malu Cadelina Manar
KORONADAL
CITY – The regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA-12) in
Soccsksargen or Central Mindanao region will receive some P3 billion budget for
2015, said regional executive director Amalia Jayag-Datukan Wednesday. Of
the P2.9 billion, at least 41.3 percent or P1.2 billion is allotted for the
construction of several farm-to-market roads (FMRs), especially in areas where
farmers and fisherfolks have difficulty transporting their products to town
centers or public markets, Datukan said.
Also,
the regional DA office will appropriate funds for research and development,
which includes techno demos, training services, and package of farming
technologies.
It
also intends to use funds to purchase buffer seeds as replacement for damaged
crops during natural disasters and man-made calamities, Datukan said.
From
the P2.9 billion, the DA-12 will provide next year P3,000 monthly incentive each
to 114 farmer-technicians tasked to monitor and provide technical assistance to
their neighboring farmers and fisherfolks.
Datukan
said the funds will be used to purchase post-harvest facilities and farm
mechanization, which includes community-based rice mills, solar dryers, and
farm tractors.
A
big bulk of the annual budget next year, according to Datukan, is allotted for
livelihood projects, which were results of the grassroots participatory
budgeting or bottom-up budgeting.
These
are all for the benefits of our farmers and fisherfolks or our agriculture
sector to make our products competitive in the world market,” she said in a
press conference held at The Farm in Koronadal City.