DAR provides trucks to Leyte’s sugar farmers

TACLOBAN CITY, Feb. 24 (PNA) -- The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has turned over on Tuesday two 10-wheeler heavy-duty dump trucks to two farmer organizations in Leyte’s sugarland area.

DAR Regional Director Sheila Enciso said the recipient organizations are the Boroc Agricultural Producers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BAP-MPC) in Ormoc City and the Libongao DAR Farmer Beneficiaries Association in Kananga.

Both groups are into sugar block farming, one of the agricultural-enterprise projects under DAR’s Agrarian Reform Communities Connectivity and Economic Support Services (ARCCESS).

The dump trucks are among the recommended common service facilities by the state universities and colleges (SUCs) commissioned by DAR earlier to conduct the needs assessment and design assessment (NADA) for the different agri-enterprise projects under ARCCESS.

Enciso disclosed that the two dump trucks amounted to PHP5.7 million each.

Cesario Pulvera, manager of the BAP-MPC admitted that the dump truck is of great help to their cooperative, particularly in the hauling of sugarcanes.

With this truck, according to him, “we can save much money from rentals for we used to rent hauling trucks at PHP1,000 to PHP1,500 per trip depending on the distance and situation of the road.”

Besides, by offering hauling services too for a fee, “our cooperative will have another source of income,” Pulvera added.

As the lead agrarian reform beneficiary organization (ARBO) for sugar block farming, the BAP-MPC has also received from DAR two four-wheel drive tractors, a 90-horse power given in 2014 and a 120-horse power given in 2015.

Meanwhile, Enciso stressed that DAR will extend the necessary support services to its agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) to make sure that lands awarded to them under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program’s (CARP’s) land transfer component become productive and eventually increase the farmers’ income leading towards a better quality life. (PNA)
JMC/SQM/DAR-PR