78,900 coco seedlings up for distribution in Samar province

TACLOBAN CITY, Jan. 4 (PNA)-- At least 78,900 seed nuts are now up for distribution, partly meeting the 1.09 million seedling requirements of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), for rehabilitation of coconut farms in Samar province devastated by super typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the agency tasked to oversee post-Yolanda recovery, reported that five nurseries in the province have just completed nurturing thousands of seed nuts.

These nurseries have been contracted to produce seedlings for farmer-beneficiaries in the towns of Basey, Marabut and Sta. Rita. These were sourced out from a supplier in Ubay, Bohol.

NEDA highly recommends establishing local growing areas to reduce mortality rate of seed nuts, which is estimated to be at 15 percent, due to high temperature and improper handling during transport.

“PCA should be able to identify also local suppliers of seed nuts in the region to cut transportation expenses and eliminate transport mishandling,” NEDA regional director Bonifacio Uy said in a press statement.

“If possible, each village should have growing area for seed nuts so that it would be accessible to farmer beneficiaries.”

Part of the project of the PCA is to provide transport allowance to farmer-beneficiaries from the nursery to farms. They also get additional incentives for planting and even on the fertilization of existing coconut trees in their fields for fast recovery. (PNA)
PGL/SARWELL Q. MENIANO