12th Jan, 2006: Maasin City - In support to the agricultural program throughout the City of Maasin , a post harvest facility for animal feeds will soon be available to farmers for their post harvest production.
City Agriculturist Amado Acasio during an interview revealed that a feed mill which will be located at the city nursery in Barangay Rizal will soon be available in support to the Management Inputs for Agricultural Networking (MIAN) project of the City of Maasin.
Acasio reported that a total of Php5 million assistance was given by the Department of Agriculture, where Php2 million of it was through the initiative of Cong. Roger Mercado in form of (1) unit farm tractor and the Php3 million came from the DA-Regional Office.
The farm tractor, Acasio said can be availed by farmers on a pay-later plan, the payment will be taken from the proceeds of their harvest that will take for at least 3 months. Farmers can use the tractor for as low as Php2,500.00/hectare for plowing and another Php2,500/hectare for harrowing, totaling to Php5,000.00 in rentals.
Acasio further said that Maasin City targeted about 100 hectares agricultural lands for this project. Though, other municipalities can avail the said project but they will prioritize the farmers from Maasin City, he added.
The proposed feedmill will finally depend on what really Maasin City farmers need, whether for the hog raisers or for the poultry. Its primary target is to support the dispersal program of the government, Acasio added.
Project MIAN assisted Maasin City’s agricultural program for more than one year, started last August 2004 with vegetable production, Acasio said.
