USDA offers aid to PH farmers
Farmers in the Caraga region will greatly benefit from the post-harvest facilities to be established by the local government units (LGUs) with the help of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The US agency teamed up with LGUs to set up a $15-million (about P676 million) Philippines Cold Chain Project (PCCP).
The project will be carried out mainly through the Food for Progress initiative of the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.
The four-year project will directly help some 979,000 Filipino farmers in the five provinces of Caraga.
For this, the USDA and project implementor Winrock International earlier this month signed a memorandum of understanding with the governors of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur.
The US embassy in Manila said in a statement that, according to Winrock International, the Caraga region could be the future breadbasket of the Philippines, specifically because of its ability to supply urban centers like Manila or Cebu.
“The region is blessed with abundant resources, fertile lands, and diverse and attractive ecotourism sites, yet Caraga remains one of the poorest regions in the country,” the embassy said.
The PCCP intends to help farmers earn more by increasing productivity and food safety while reducing losses, mainly through the provision of equipment and technical support to local government and private sector projects related to the development of cold storage infrastructure.
According to the US embassy’s information office, whatever infrastructure that will be developed through the project depends on the level of financial commitment from private and government sources.
The PCCP will work with those engage in horticulture, as well as meat and fish producers, who will benefit from a temperature-controlled supply system.
“Higher quality, higher value agricultural products will be able to compete in new markets as businesses and consumers demand products meeting international quality standards,” the embassy said.
