An agriculture cooperative in Antique province has been granted over PHP14.9 million worth of facilities and machinery from the Department of Agriculture (DA) to aid corn farmers in the municipality of Patnongon and surrounding towns.
Sonie Guanco, head of the DA Agricultural Program Coordinating Office in Antique, explained that the support package, provided under the corn program, includes a warehouse facility and essential machinery. The equipment consists of a bagger sewer, digital weighing scale, corn combine harvester, and a hauling truck, which were officially handed over to the Kalipunan ng mga Magsasaka ng Patnongon (KAMAPAT) Agriculture Cooperative on Tuesday.
The initiative was made possible through the collaboration of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Patnongon, the second-largest corn-producing area in the province, with approximately 2,500 hectares of land dedicated to corn farming.
As a key corn consolidator, KAMAPAT purchases corn kernels from local farmers at a price higher than the prevailing market rate of PHP11 per kilogram. The addition of the warehouse facility will provide corn farmers with a valuable storage option for their produce.
“The warehouse will serve as a storage facility for local farmers,” Guanco said in an interview on Wednesday.
The warehouse, located in Barangay San Rafael, Patnongon, is situated on a lot for which KAMAPAT has a 25-year usufruct agreement. As part of their agreement, KAMAPAT is responsible for maintaining both the facility and the machinery.
With around 800 members, KAMAPAT will need to establish a policy regarding storage fees for the warehouse and determine how best to utilize the new machinery to enhance production and improve the livelihoods of its members.