TO empower local farmers and help increase their earnings, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) recently turned over a village level processing center for abaca fiber and its by-products to the Aparicio Agrarian Reform Cooperative in Ibajay, Aklan.
The beneficiaries are mostly agrarian reform beneficiaries, for them to profitably operate and manage their own enterprise.
DAR Western Visayas Regional Director Shiela Enciso said the total project cost amounted to P 370,000.
Enciso disclosed that a total of 659 members consisting of 153 ARBs and 506 non-ARBs will benefit from the project.
“Under the VLFED project, we want to enhance the products of farmers through the provision of appropriate facilities and equipment,” Enciso said.
“Today, the Aparicio Agrarian Reform Cooperative is actively pursuing the abaca fiber trading as their enterprise,”Encisoo said.
Meanwhile new DAR Secretary Bernie Cruz said the agency aims to double its efforts to distribute all the remaining undistributed lands to the landless farmers, provide support services to agrarian reform beneficiariesand bring social justice in agrarian communities.
Tags: # DAR, #agriculture, #abaca, #Aklan