MAFAR TO OPEN SEED STORAGE AT SGA
SGA – A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the Barangay Kitulaan, Carmen North Cotabato, Special Geographic Area of the Bangsamoro, for a seed storage facility with solar drying pavement.
The new facility amounting to PHP 5, 335, 468.43 million was funded by the Department of Agriculture and implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform and will be benefitted by the Bangsamoro farmer of Barangay Kitulaan.
The groundbreaking was led by Engr. Asnaira Abdullah, SRS II Baidido S. Lawan, and Assistant to the Provincial Director for SGA Rasheed Disumimba on December 20, 2023.
Hon. Ombra Akoy, Barangay Chairman, said, “Bilang Chairman ng Barangay Kitulaan, nagpapasalmat kami sa Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform dahil napili nila ang aming barangay na bigyan ng seed storage.”
“Napakalaking importansya ito sa ating magsasaka dahil halos lahat ng mamayaman dito ay pagsasaka ang kabuhayaan na binubuo ng Bangsamoro Free Farmers Association,” he said.
Itong seed storage ay napakalaking proyekto na ipinagkalooob ng BARMM na magagamit ng mga magsasaka at mga kalapit na Barangay, he added.
The storage can store 10,000 bags, while the solar dryer has a drying capacity of 80-100 bags and is expected to be finished within 180 days on or before June 17, 2024.
According to Engr. Abdullah, the seed storage has a floor area of 15m x 20m = 300 sq.m with 5*3m = 15 sq.m office, and drying pavement has a total area of 20 x 30 = 600 sq.m.
She said this storage will ensure that the seed is kept in optimal physical and physiological condition from harvest until the farmer plants it.
Meanwhile, Assistant to the Provincial Director for SGA Disumimba said this activity serves as part of MAFAR’s initiative for food safety to minimize post-harvest losses.
He said, we also thank the BLGU, Bangsamoro Free Farmers Association. We chose the Barangay Kitulaan to be the beneficiary of the seed storage because we have witnessed that the farmers here are using the national highway to dry their harvest.
“That’s why we chose your barangay because you deserve to have this facility to uplift your farming condition as well as your lives,” he added.