Kadiwa Grant abets local government units to sustain Kadiwa stores
To help realize the Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita project in Caraga region, qualified LGU-beneficiaries were given financial grants through the Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga.
The DA distributed the financial grants to the following LGUs, to wit: Remedios T. Romualdez (RTR) received P5 million for the construction of the Kadiwa Store warehouse; the LGU Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte with P5 million for the procurement of delivery truck; the Filipinas Palm Oil Plantation Inc. Agrarian Reform Beneficiary (ARB) Multi-purpose Cooperative (MPC) with P1.585 million use to procure a delivery vehicle; Tag-oyango Multi-purpose Cooperative (MPC) in the municipality of Sibagat, Agusan del Sur with P300,000 as their working capital; P3.8 million to the municipality of Madrid in Surigao del Sur also to procure a hauling track; and the San Isidro Parish Binucayan Area Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SIPBAFAMCO) in the town of Loreto, Agusan del Sur
SIPBAFAMCO is one of the beneficiaries of the grant, with initial members of 34, that has now reached 168 current members, of which 95 percent are organic rice farmers tending a total of 75 hectares of rice farms. Because of its various services, the SIPBAFAMCO became one of the beneficiaries of the Enhanced Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita Inclusive Food Chain Program.
Rev. Fr. Anthony Salas, founder of the SIPBAFAMCO, believed that helping and guiding the farmers in their farming activities like adopting organic farming will uplift their living conditions.
"As a result of the pandemic and rising agricultural input costs, more farmers switch to organic farming,” said Salas.
In 2021, the coop received a financial grant worth P1.5 million as additional capital for their organic rice trading business. Aside from the DA’s support to the cooperative, the LGU of Agusan del Sur also provided them with a rice mill and drying facility. Salas further acknowledged the big contribution of the DA, saying that without the assistance of the DA and the LGU they could not afford to set-up all their needs.
Also, Madrid Municipal Agriculturist Theresa Ilogon said he assured farmers that the mobilization of the agricultural products and resources in the area will be fastened. Farmers in the area will be challenged to work well with the support they received that also made them eager to work to improve their living conditions, he added.
Meanwhile, DA Regional Technical Director Rebecca R. Atega said, “The financial grant enhanced the capacities of farmers and fisherfolk organizations to become reliable food commodity suppliers to consumers and for community based -organizations to sustainably operate the Kadiwa retail stores.” (NCLM/PIA-Caraga)
