Farmers from Nueva Ecija have urged the next administration to continue the provision of credit assistance and the construction of rural infrastructure such as farm-to-market (FMR) roads.
Flag Lift Farmers Cooperative President Rolando Maniquis Jr. said some of the agriculture projects rolled out during President Aquino’s term have helped them earn more.
“For one, the Sikat Saka program has allowed rice farmers to borrow money at an interest rate of less than 1 percent per month on the sixth cycle,” Maniquis said.
“In four to five months, the paid-up interest is less than 5 percent, which means additional income for farmer’s cooperative members,” he added.
The Sikat Saka credit assistance is jointly implemented by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Land Bank of the Philippines. Maniquis noted that rice farmers usually borrow money from lenders who slap an interest rate as high as 32 percent in five months.
He also said the next administration must continue the Farm Mechanization Program, which allowed cooperative members to use farm tractors for a minimal fee, far below the P4,500 standard rate.
Meanwhile, Reynaldo Hilario, a Gawad Saka Outstanding High Value Crops farmer, said one of the most important projects implemented by the government is the construction of FMRs.
The concretized road networks which connect the production area to the trading centers, serve as faster and efficient access for farmers who deliver their produce. He said the road also allowed farm visitors to see and experience his farm with ease.
Today, his integrated farm is one of the tourist destinations in Nueva Ecija.
Aside from this, Hilario also acknowledged the assistance of the regional office of the DA, including the provision of various planting materials and inputs, livestock technologies, postharvest facilities and other machineries.
“We were also able to expand our knowledge through the help of farm technicians and learn more about the importance of production of safe and quality farm produce,” he said.
“Through the DA’s interventions, we are now more equipped and ready to compete under the Asean
Free Trade Agreement,” he said.
Hilario also cited the newly opened Nueva Ecija Agri-Pinoy Trading Center in Cabanatuan, which is envisioned to benefit residents of Nueva Ecija’s 32 municipalities.
