To help onion and mango farmers overcome the challenges currently besetting the onion and mango sectors, the Department of Agriculture – High-Value Crops Development Program National Program Management Office, in collaboration with the Agricultural Credit Policy Council and the HVCDP-Regional Field Office I, organized an information and credit caravan in Laoag, Ilocos Norte.
In a message from Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban, delivered by Director U-Nichols Manalo, DA OIC-Field Operations Service Director, and National Corn Program Director, farmers were ensured that the DA is addressing the current challenges of the onion and mango industry, and that it will continue to provide them with appropriate input subsidies, irrigation systems, farm machinery, postharvest facilities, technology training, and EASY ACCESS TO CREDIT.
The credit caravan was adapted to respond to the specific financial needs of onion and mango farmers and allow them to secure production capital to finance the operations of their farms.
The DA is one with its partners – the Landbank of the Philippines Development Bank of the Philippines, Ilocos Consolidated Cooperative Bank, Nueva Segovia Consortium Cooperative, Sta. Cruz Savings and Development Cooperative and the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation in assisting our farmers in complying with the documentary requirements to increase their productivity and income. The DA is committed to accessible and responsive financial services to revitalize the local economy and ensure food security.
About 230 interested farmers from various municipalities of the Provinces of Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte participated in the orientation on the various credit programs of the DA. The whole-day caravan included presentations of various accessible DA credit programs with interest rates ranging from 0% to 6%. In sum, the farmers-loan applicants learned how to avail of the various interventions from the lending conduits to further increase their farm productivity and income.
Jeff Rodriguez – HVCDP PMO
