ZAMBOANGA CITY–The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has provided PHP5 million worth of farm tools to two Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs) in the province of Zamboanga del Norte.
Arturo Soria, Zamboanga del Norte provincial agrarian reform officer, said Wednesday the beneficiaries of the farm tools are the Cabong, Tampilisan Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Catamco) and the Camul Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Carbemco).
Soria said the two ARBOs are into rubber farming and production in Barangay Galingon in Tampilisan municipality, a fourth-class town in Zamboanga del Norte.
He said the distribution of farm tools supports the continuous development of the province’s rubber industry.
The farm tools that were turned over to the farmers’ cooperatives consisted of eight chain saws; 10 augers; eight grass cutters; 45,000 latex cups; 45,000 spouts; 45,000 cup holders; 21 units weighing scales; 60 knapsack-type sprayers; 450 pruning shears; 450 sharpening hones; 450 manual hand diggers; 150 wheel barrows; 600 shovels; 585 digging bars; and 1,000 coagulating vats.
Soria said the farm tools were purchased and distributed to the two ARBOs through DAR’s Project Convergence on Value Chain Enhancement for Rural Growth and Empowerment (DAR-Project Converge), aimed at improving rubber farm production in the agrarian reform communities.
“This initiative (farm tools distribution) would enable the farmers in Tampilisan to have sufficient production and increase in income,” Soria said.
He said they have advised the recipients of the project to come up with guidelines on the use of the farm equipment “so it will be fully utilized.” (Teofilo Garcia, Jr/PNA)
