DA plans P120-M crops complex in Sarangani

The Department of Agriculture is building a P120 million rice and corn complex in the province of Sarangani to serve as the marketing center for local traders.

Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol said the rice and corn facility would help modernize agriculture in Sarangani.

The DA has also committed to extend a P30 million aid to indigenous people farmers. The amount will be used to provide livelihood to farmers, undertake hog farm production and build a slaughter house to complement the income of local farmers.

Piñol, meanwhile, lauded Sarangani’s Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) program for being the most successful because of its streamlined and efficient implementation.

SAAD, which means “promise” in the Visayan language, opens new opportunities to meet the needs of upland farmers with the goal of food sufficiency and helping them live out of poverty line.

The program is a grassroots initiative started by Piñol when he was governor of Cotabato Province. It aims to uplift the standard of living of people in the ten poorest provinces in the country which includes Sarangani and Cotabato.

As of the end of October, four municipalities have already produced 111 metric tons of organic rice, which is expected to increase when the yield from the other three towns are accounted for in December.

Local authorities consider upland rice as the best answer to increase the supply in Sarangani, as it demonstrates more flexibility against sudden weather changes, and less unwavering quality to water system, thus making it the ideal option to lowland rice.