P10M post harvest facility open in NoCot town
by: WILLIAMOR MAGBANUA Posted at www.junfp.com
A modern mechanical dryer worth P10 million started operation at Buayan village in the town of Mlang, North Cotabato on August 1 last year in what 2nd District Rep. Bernardo Piñol Jr. described as part of his planned efforts of modernizing agricultural facilities in his turf.
National Irrigation Administration (NIA) administrator Carlos S. Salazar with Rep. Bernardo “Jun” Piñol and other Mlang officials led by Mayor Joselito Piñol inaugurated the facility through a ceremonial switch-on on the same opening of operations that jived with the foundation day fete of Mlang town.
The construction of the 10-M post harvest facility came upon the request to Rep. Piñol of various farmers’ cooperatives of Buayan and its nearby villages.
Some 3,000 farmers in Mlang benefit from the project, said Piñol, who put up the P10-million cost out of his Priority Development Assistance Fund or “pork barrel.”
The installation of post-harvest-facility exemplified Rep. Piñol’s staunch drive for agricultural modernization in the country, particularly in North Cotabato, Oliver Jao, the solon‘s chief of staff, said.
“This is just the beginning for my serious quest in helping farmers obtain modern facilities in promotion of sustainable agriculture in my province,” Piñol said.
The facility consists of three vacuum machines serving as mechanical dryers for palay seeds. Each machine could accommodate a capacity of 10 tons with 10-12 hours drying period.
“Our farmers could dry their produce in these machines while doing laundry,” Piñol seriously said.
He said a similar post-harvest-facility will also be put up in the towns of Pres. Roxas, Antipas and Arakan. These towns are known to many as the rice producing areas of North Cotabato.
The solon has asked the national government to finance the construction of modern processing plants for rubber and coconut in his district and even in other areas of Mindanao.
In a relevant development, Piñol got support from the national government in establishing a coconut nursery in Magpet town.
The said nursery has a capacity of 200,000 coconut seedlings intended for distribution to the municipalities of Arakan, Antipas, President Roxas and Magpet.
In sum, the seedlings will cover at least 2, 000 hectares of lands in these areas.
Cotabato-M'lang Rural Airport to boost agricultural production industry
Source : www.pia.gov.ph
Koronadal City -- The soon-to-be completed M’lang Airport would be beneficial to the agricultural production industry of the province of Cotabato, disclosed vice governor, Manny Piñol.
According to Piñol, the airport is the only option the people of M’lang has for them to be able to access big trading centers in cities of Cebu, Iloilo, and Metro Manila.
Last Updated (Thursday, 11 February 2010 12:48)
