PIA Press Release
Saturday, January 21, 2012 LGU donates P4.4M for upgrade of agri facilityKORONADAL CITY, Jan. 21 (PIA) –- North Cotabato’s provincial government recently donated P4.4 million to the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the upgrading of the latter’s facilities in the province. Nelly Ylanan, head of the Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Division, said DA-12 Regional Executive Director Amalia Jayag-Datukan and North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou “Lala” Mendoza signed a memorandum of agreement for the donation intended for the improvement of the Central Mindanao Integrated Agricultural Research Center (CEMIARC) in Amas, Kidapawan City and its satellite station in Barangay Balindog in the same city. “This is called a harmonious tandem to push for agricultural development in the province of North Cotabato -- the local and national government partnering with each other to catalyse improvement of the farming sector,” Ylanan said. Mendoza’s initiative would help augment the needed facility of the soils laboratory of CEMIARC. From the donated amount P3.4 million is allotted for the soils laboratory. The remaining P1 million will be given to CEMIARC’s tissue culture laboratory in Barangay Balindog. The only condition that the provincial government asks from DA is a three-year exemption from paying laboratory service fees, Ylanan added. CEMIARC is a research center that collects, preserves and distributes genetically superior seeds and plant materials. The station also conducts on-station and on-farm applied research and technology transfer of matured and appropriate and site-specific technologies. With the local and national government working together, development growth in the countryside could be made faster, Ylanan said. (DEDoguiles/PIA 12/RAFID-DA12) | 
