DA rolls out P64M farm support in Camarines Norte

Farmers in Camarines Norte are set to gain additional storage, processing and mechanization support as the Department of Agriculture (DA) rolled out P64 million worth of agricultural interventions aimed at reducing post-harvest losses and improving farm productivity.

The package includes a P10.8-million modular cold storage facility in Vinzons designed to support the province’s Queen pineapple industry, which counts about 1,570 growers.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. and Camarines Norte Gov. Ricarte “Dong” Padilla inaugurated the 40-foot insulated facility on Sept. 28. It operates through a hybrid power system using solar panels, a wind turbine and a diesel generator.

“This temperature-controlled storage facility will help safeguard the Queen, the pineapple variety prized worldwide for its crisp texture, aromatic sweetness and distinctive reddish margins, and produced by some 1,570 growers in Camarines Norte,” Tiu Laurel said.

The facility can also be used for other perishable commodities, including lowland vegetables, giving farmers additional capacity to preserve produce quality, reduce spoilage and extend marketability.

In Labo, the DA National Corn Program provided the Unlad Magsasaka Mais Sagana Farmers Association with a P10.6-million feed mill, hauling truck and processing equipment, along with P2.02 million in farm inputs.

Rice farmers in Labo and Vinzons also received P23 million worth of hybrid palay seeds and fertilizers for the dry season.

The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization provided P14.7 million in machinery, including four four-wheel-drive tractors and four rice combine harvesters.

Additional assistance included P450,000 for high-value vegetable production and P2.23 million worth of two Composting Facilities for Biodegradable Wastes and a Solar Set from the Bureau of Soils and Water Management.

Tiu Laurel said the investments are intended to improve farm efficiency, reduce losses and support more sustainable income growth while strengthening Camarines Norte’s agricultural economy.