Fifteen agrarian reform beneficiary organizations have been tapped by the Department of Agrarian Reform Negros Occidental-I to supply agricultural products for city and district jails in the northern part of the province.
The DAR Negros Occidental-I said that 12 ARBOs have forged marketing agreements with the Bureau of Jail Management in Penology while three others have yet to formalize the partnerships with their respective clients.
The agreements are part of the agency’s Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty program implemented through the Program Beneficiaries Development Division.
Rizalina Yuguing, OIC-chief agrarian reform program officer of PBDD, said the ARBOs were selected based on their capacity to market farm products to institutional buyers and provide the volume and quality required by the clients.
“One of the salient points of the agreement is for the ARBOs to ensure prompt delivery of the required volume of vegetables ordered by the BJMP at an agreed price,” she added.
The ARBOs which signed marketing agreements are the Entorilan ARB Association Inc. and A & G Esteban Farmers Association of Barangay San Miguel, Murcia, which will supply vegetables to the Metro Bacolod District Jail in Bacolod City; Hacienda Pula-Silay AR Cooperative of Barangay Kapitan Ramon, Silay City – Talisay City Jail; Hacienda San Jose #2 Farmworkers Association, also of Barangay Kapitan Ramon, Silay City – Silay City Jail; Candelaria Farmers Association of Barangay Purisima, Manapla and Hacienda Basag 1 Farmworkers Association of Barangay Tanza, E.B. Magalona – Victorias City Jail.
Others are the Nabinay AR Cooperative of Barangay Daga, Cadiz City – Cadiz City Jail; Mulawin-Lanatan Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative and Mirasol Development Corp. AR Cooperative of Sagay City – Sagay City Jail; Hagnaya AR Cooperative of Barangay Tabun-ac, Toboso – Escalante City Jail; and Barangay Quezon ARB Association of San Carlos City and Dolis AR Cooperative of Barangy Dolis, Calatrava – San Carlos City Jail.
The remaining three ARBOs are Dalinson Farmers Association of Barangay Alacaygan, E.B. Magalona and Nacayao Small Farmers Association of Barangay Kapitan Ramon, Silay City, which will be the additional suppliers for Silay City Jail; and De Fuego 1 Farmers Association of Barangay Bagtic, Silay City, for Talisay City Jail.
Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer I Milagros Flores commended the PBDD for linking farmers to direct markets, giving them hope and inspiration to properly utilize lands awarded to them under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.
Flores thanked the BJMP for accepting the agency’s call to help the farmer-beneficiaries. “May this partnership pave the way to boost the economy of our small-holder farmers and improve the quality of their lives,” she added.*PNA
