ALABEL, Sarangani – To help improve the hauling services of the coconut farmer-members, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has provided Sarangani Vegetables Seed Growers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SAVESEGROW-MPC) one delivery truck and one hauling truck.
“The trucks will be used to facilitate or ferry the unhusked whole coconuts from farm to the partner market,” said Annabelle Tagaza, OIC assistant provincial agriculturist and Philippine Rural Development Project - Investment in Rural Enterprise Agri-fishery Project (PRDP I-REAP) alternate.
The donated trucks are part of the P23M Consolidation, Trading, and Marketing of Whole Coconuts subproject that SAVESEGROW-MPC got from PRDP I-REAP.
SAVESEGROW-MPC is a cooperative based in Malungon.
“Kapag na-maintain yung required standard quality ng coconut products na ma-ideliver nila, this will command a higher price and will bring good income flow sa ating mga farmers,” Tagaza said.
Coconut is one of the high value crops of Sarangani. The hauling trucks, according to Tagaza “will be of great support to the commodity value chain upgrading ng ating coconuts.”
Based on the project description, “one hundred percent of the unhusked whole coconuts produced by the farmers will be procured by the cooperative. Upon dehusking, an estimated ninety-six percent will be marketed as dehusked coconuts.”
It said, the dehusked coconuts with good quality will be sold to the Century Pacific Agricultural Ventures Inc. (CPAVI) in General Santos City as its identified buyer. While an estimated 4% of rejects will be processed further into white copra.
Tagaza believed this project will also help address “the plight of the farmers sa paghanap nila ng buyers at a good price,” while labor cost is reduced since the cooperative could now pick up the whole nuts.
For now, Tagaza said SAVESEGROW-MPC will focus in some of the barangays in Malungon particularly Alkikan, Kibala, Atlae, Datal Tampal, and Malandag.
In a ceremonial turnover on August 2, Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, together with staff from DA Region XII, handed over the trucks along with the certificate of ownership to SAVESEGROW-MPC at the Provincial Capitol.
DA Region XII has also lauded Sarangani for having four approved World Bank PRDP I-REAP projects under the leadership of Governor Solon.
“This is the season for the agriculture sector to thrive as an essential industry as it plays a big part in the development and health of our province,” Governor Solon said. (SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)
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