Misamis Oriental town farmers hold Pineapple Harvest Festival
Cagayan de Oro City (23 February) -- Cold winds and intermittent rains did not dampen the spirit of the farmers in Saray village of Salay town in the province of Misamis Oriental who celebrated their first Pineapple Harvest Festival last February 12, 2009.
Organized as Saray Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative, the farmers have availed of the PineappleGrow project under the ARBs Agribusiness Enterprise Development Program (AREDP) of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
The pineapple plantation in Saray covered 10 hectares with some 229 beneficiaries that include the members of the coop and nearby residents who found employment in the project as farm workers.
PineappleGrow is a joint undertaking of the Department of Agrarian Reform, Del Monte Philippines, Inc., Land Bank of the Philippines and local government units with the participating individual farmers or farmer organizations.
The DAR is responsible for the overall coordination and implementation of the project.
Del Monte provides the technology and serves as the market, while Land Bank extends financial assistance to the farmer-growers.
The support of the concerned local government units is likewise indispensable in the project.
Engr. Felix Aguhob, the newly-installed DAR-10 Regional Director led DAR officials and staff who joined the farmers in the celebration.
AREDP Deputy Program Director Gomercindo Tumbali witnessed the event together with Land Bank of the Philippines representatives led by Manager Cesar Magallanes, Florencio Macapondag of Del Monte Philippines, Inc., Kagawad Jimmy Caiņa of the provincial government of Misamis Oriental and Kagawad Emeterio Tagarda of the municipal government of Salay. (RIO, DAR 10) [top]
