AGRI BOOST. Farmers receive farm input and equipment during a distribution at the Ilocos Norte Agriculture and Fisheries Extension System Building in Laoag, Ilocos Norte in this undated photo. To address the specific needs of farmers and fishers, the Ilocos Norte government opened an agri hotline to gather all agriculture-related requests. (Contributed)
LAOAG CITY – Another batch of agriculture inputs and equipment from the Ilocos Norte government has been turned over to local farmers and fishers here on Tuesday afternoon.
Distributed as part of the local government's "Agri ka Dito!" program were fertilizers, soil conditioners, jetmatic pumps, knapsack sprayers, plastic drums, irrigation hose, pesticides, assorted vegetable seeds, a combine harvester, four 4-wheel tractors, five multi-cultivators, five hand tractors, and 192 sets of fish nets, with a combined worth of PHP19, 974,055.
The beneficiaries included 582 farmers and vegetables growers, 384 fisherfolk, and 15 organizations in Laoag, Batac, Sarrat, Bacarra, Bangui, Burgos, Pagudpud, Dingras, and Vintar.
Since the start of the Marcos administration, farmers and fisherfolk here have received the most number of granted requests through an agri hotline where farmers can call or text for assistance, said Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc.
Since the launching of the program in 2022 which aims to sustain the activities for the livelihood of community farmers and fisherfolk by providing them with immediate assistance in the midst of the skyrocketing cost of agriculture inputs, the Ilocos Norte government has already poured in over PHP2 billion worth of quick assistance to the agricultural sector.
“To all our farmers, we assure you of full-service assistance, from pre-planting to marketing, to produce more through technology and mechanization, and improve our irrigation,” Manotoc said during the distribution held at the Ilocos Norte Agriculture and Fisheries Extension System building in this city.
To maximize the revenue of farmers, the governor also urged rice farmers to shift to high-value crops such as garlic, mango, dragon fruit, shallots, onions, and tobacco, which are now more marketable than palay.
Additionally, he also laid out his plans to prioritize product processing and agri-business to capture more stages of the value chain.
To avail of more services and assistance, farmers and fisherfolk who have yet to receive any form of assistance from the provincial government may call 0916-4419914 or 0969-2905489, e-mail agrikadito.in@gmail.com, or visit the Provincial Agriculture Office in Barangay 2 here or the Sustainable Development Center at the provincial capitol. (PNA)
