A total of 1,140 farmers is estimated to benefit from the productivity and income enhancement projects of the Department of Agriculture stimulus package under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2.
Other beneficiaries of the program include 11 local government units (LGUs), three state universities and colleges (SUCs), and one privately-owned agricultural cooperative.
Bayanihan 2 was enacted in September 2020 to support DA’s food security agendas amid the pandemic. Of the P24B fund allocation, more than P444M was allotted to the DA Ilocos Region to which 21 projects were launched.
To enhance farmers’ productivity in the region, Rice Resiliency Project (RRP) for dry season was established, including interventions for urban agriculture, fall army worm management, garlic expansion, and the development of banana, mango, and bamboo industries.
Farm inputs, machineries, and equipment were distributed and trainings were held.
Laboratories for crop pest and disease management were proposed for construction and upgrading including technology transfer facilities.
Funds were transferred to DA’s partner SUCs and LGUs for the installment of chicken-goat nucleus and multiplier farms including cattle feedlot fattening project.
Anticipated projects to augment farmers’ income on the other hand, are the construction of a Provincial Trading Center in Ilocos Sur and the multi-crops seed storage and monolithic dome type cold storage in Pangasinan.
Funds to procure reefer vans were provided to qualified farmer beneficiaries.
Additional interventions effected are the profiling of farmers in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), deployment of 16 interns under the Mentoring and Attracting Youth in Agribusiness (MAYA) program, establishment of regional integrity network group ring for the Agriculture Dialogue and Information Network group (ADING), clustering of 47 farm areas under the Farm and Fisheries Clustering and Consolidation (F2C2) program, and the provision of trading capital to farmer groups under the Enhanced KADIWA 2.
Currently, two processing centers – for Chichacorn and Bagnet with a swine breeding facility, are being constructed as enterprise development support to farmers.
Funds for all of the Bayanihan 2 projects are expected to be disbursed this June.
Secretary Dar during his visit to the region last May led the inauguration in some of the aforementioned projects.//
