Govt provides hauling truck to sugarcane farmers’ group

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) announced having turned over to a group of sugarcane farmers based in North Cotabato a hauling truck worth P800,000.00 to increase sugar production and farmers’ income.

The Kabulacan Farmers Association of Matalam, North Cotabato received the hauling truck during simple turnover rites led by key officials of the DAR, the agency said.

DAR Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III has ordered field personnel to step up the provision of supportservices to small farmers.

With the farm machinery, the hauling demands of the 150 hectares of sugarcane plantation in Barangay Kabulacan is expected to 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 the organization.

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

She 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,” Capindo 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 P64,000.

Evangeline Bueno, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II, said the project is provided through funding support from the Major Crop-based Block Farming Project under the DAR’S “climate resilient farm productivity support” program.

“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.