The Anabel-Sadanga Multipurpose Cooperative’s (ASMPC) heirloom rice processing and marketing enterprise subproject is seen to increase farmers’ income in Sadanga, Mountain Province.
Under the Enterprise Development (I-REAP) component of the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP), the ASMPC will soon upgrade their heirloom rice processing venture with the procurement of a rice mill, a hauling truck, and a ₱ 426, 200.00 trading capital for the purchase of palay from the members of the ASMPC.
The project cost is ₱ 9.16 million funded under the DA-PRDP on a cost-sharing scheme – 60% came from World Bank loan proceeds, with counterpart funding from the DA (20%), the provincial local government unit (20%), and another 20 percent equity from the proponent group (PG).
As part of the enterprise project, a processing center will be established in Anabel, Sadanga, which will also serve as a trading center for heirloom rice.
On September 30, 2020, Mt. Province Governor Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr. and Vice-Gov. Francis O. Tauli turned over the first tranche release of the PRDP grant in the amount of ₱ 945,000 to the ASMPC through Manager Ester Rose Chao-angan for the procurement of a rice mill.
Governor Lacwasan said that the realization of the enterprise subproject will surely boost the income of local rice farmers. He further thanked the DA- Regional Field Office-CAR (DA-RFO-CAR) and the DA-PRDP Regional Project Coordination Office-CAR for the interventions in support to the livelihood activities of farmers in Mountain Province.
The governor assured that the provincial government as the project’s implementing partner will continuously support the development of livelihood projects in the province.
Vice Governor Tauli expressed optimism that once the project is completed, more farmers will gain interest in producing heirloom rice and that with the PRDP grant, the productivity of the local farmers’ rice produce will increase. (Erwin Batnag)