CAPITOL NEWS

Lingayen – To help thousands of farmers in Pangasinan recover from the damages wrought by the consecutive onslaught of Typhoons “Karen” and “Lawin”, the provincial government of Pangasinan and the Department of Agriculture have distributed certified palay and hybrid yellow corn seeds to them last October 28 at the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg) agricultural station in Sta. Barbara.

Governor Amado “Pogi” I. Espino, III and DA Region 1 Director Valentino Perdido led the ceremonial distribution of the seeds to farmer groups and municipal and city agriculturists.

Speaking as a farmer himself, the provincial chief executive in his message encouraged the rice and corn growers to maximize use of the aid the provincial government has extended to them to pull them through from the loss they have incurred.

“Farming is always taking risks and sacrifices… Please take care of yourself, your health so you can rise from these trying times and be able to sow and harvest again for your family. This is our way to show appreciation to our hardworking farmers,” Gov. Espino said.

The governor also promised that concerns and requests of farmer groups are more than welcome to be addressed by his administration to sustain the agricultural development thrusts initiated by his predecessor and now Congressman Amado T. Espino, Jr. of the fifth district.

Provincial Agriculturist OIC Dalisay Moya said that this aid is just part of the comprehensive rehabilitation effort of the provincial government, together with the Department of Agriculture (DA), for the local farmers.

Around 23, 900 farmers from all over the province will benefit from the project, in response to the recorded Php 766,381,839.54 estimated value of agricultural production loss due to the two recent typhoons.

From the said tally there were P611, 238,854.73 estimated worth of losses for palay and P7,406,183.95 for corn.

In a report, Moya said that this rehabilitation effort mirrors the current administration’s bid to spur incusive growth in the agri-economic sector in Pangasinan; thus, making the province the food basket of the Ilocos Region.

The province is the top producer of rice and corn in the Region, as well as in watermelon, tomatoes, sweet potato and root crops.

Pangasinan is also the top producer of mango, peanut and eggplant in the entire country.

Moya said these achievements are the fruition of the agricultural reforms the provincial government ventured into under the helm of the elder and younger Espino governors.

On this occasion, the governor was also elated to announce that the province is among the recipients of this year’s National Quality Corn Achievers Award in an awarding ceremony to be held in Koronadal City, South Cotabato on November 16.

This is the third time that the province cops the citation, after achieving it in 2013 and 2014. /RMCL

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments