COURTESY: JSA/PIA-10/Bukidnon
Strategic Investment and Local Impact
The timely turnover of a P1.68-million postharvest storage hub to the Gango-Kinawe farmers’ cooperative in Libona marks a strategic investment in rural agricultural infrastructure. Moreover, this facility, funded under the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture (AMIA), directly addresses the vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate risks and market volatility. Consequently, farmers now possess a safeguarded space to store maize and cassava, which will reduce spoilage and enable more calculated market participation.
Regional Executive Director Jose Apollo Y. Pacamalan of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Northern Mindanao emphasized practical benefits. For example, by enabling bulk sales at optimal times, the cooperative can secure improved market prices. Therefore, this intervention not only mitigates postharvest losses but also enhances income stability for households dependent on agriculture.
Governance, Coordination, and Community Benefits
Effective coordination remains essential, and Pacamalan urged crop registration and collaboration with Municipal Agriculture Officers (MAOs) to balance supply and demand. Additionally, past episodes of discarded produce due to poor market prices illustrate the cost of insufficient planning; thus, registration during planting will help prevent oversupply and expand market access. Consequently, the storage hub represents both relief and a catalyst for better agricultural governance.
Furthermore, community leaders articulated profound gratitude and commitment to collective advancement. Chairperson Angelito Atillo of the Gango-Kinawe Community-based Participatory Action Research Producers Cooperative (GKCPAR) highlighted how the new facility will reduce spoilage, raise incomes, and sustain livelihoods. On the same day, DA-10 also turned over another warehouse to the Bliss Lingion Multipurpose Cooperative in Manolo Fortich, thereby extending similar support across Bukidnon and reinforcing the province’s role as Northern Mindanao’s food basket.
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