Capitol Buys Php5.6M Worth of Planting Materials

The Cebu Provincial Government has procured some Php5.6 million worth of aid for farmers affected by drought.

Cebu Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Roldan Saragena said the budget came from the quick response fund of the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).

The planting materials being purchased include 24,500 packs of vegetable seeds for okra, stringbeans, ampalaya, eggplant, squash, tomato, pechay and upo.

It also includes at least 350 bags of corn seeds, 30,000 pieces of banana suckers for super cardaba, 16,000 bundles of cassava seed pieces and camote cuttings and 50 kilograms of seaweed cuttings.

Saragena said they have also purchased 170 bottles of insecticides against pests that usually come out in the rainy season.

He said he hoped the materials will be available in the first cropping season which is forecasted to be in the later part of June, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

The Department of Agriculture 7 has also targeted to start distributing corn seeds to local government units (LGUs) within this month.

Some 10,000 grafted mango seedlings are also available for farmers.

Saragena said the interested LGUs are only required to submit a letter of intent to be able to avail of the mango seedlings.

He added their initial damage assessment report showed that the dry spell has already caused some Php158.8 million in damage to agriculture in the province. (PNA) LDV/EB/PR/EDS