LINGAYEN — The provincial government under the stewardship of Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. opened three more agricultural facilities to further improve the productive capability of local farmers.
The facilities which include a rehabilitated farmers’ pavilion, a mushroom culture research and production center and nursery seedling propagation and grow-out project, were inaugurated during the massive distribution of certified seeds to farmers whose crops were devastated by the recent super typhoon “Lando” on November 12 at the Provincial Agriculture Office in Tebag in Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan.
The funding of the newly rehabilitated farmers’ pavilion came from the P4 million prize incentive received by Pangasinan as a National Rice Achievers’ Awardee to which the province has been elevated to the Hall of Fame for being among the best provinces in the country in rice production for three consecutive years from 2012 to 2014.
Expressing concern over the plight of the farmers and fishermen sector, Gov. Espino said the facility is intended mainly for the farmers’ use and their families.
He said the building will serve as venue for activities and gatherings of farmers and groups in the agricultural center.
The Provincial Mushroom Training Center, on the other hand, will be used to train the various rural-based groups in Pangasinan who are interested to venture in mushroom production as additional source of income.
The Plant Nursery Seedling Propagation and Grow-Out Project is intended to boost the province’s existing project in the production of seedlings to be planted in watershed areas, eco-parks and school compounds.
Following the blessing of the new facilities, the governor and Dr. Valentino C. Perdido, the OIC Regional Executive Director of the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office I, distributed farm inputs and planting materials to the typhoon Lando affected farmers as part of the rehabilitation effort of DA-RFO I and the Pangasinan Provincial Government.
Gov. Espino and Perdido distributed 30,365 bags of seeds composed of 15,584 bags of certified inbred seeds and 15,051 bags of hybrid seeds.
The governor said the volume of seeds available from DA will only satisfy the seed requirement of 30,635 hectares out of the 37,150 hectares, but Gov. Espino has assured the farmers that the province will augment the lacking seeds to complete the seed requirements.
Assorted vegetable seeds and mungbean seeds were also distributed during the event where Perdido said at least 4,725 kilogram of mungbean seeds were given to farmers including some 300 cans of red onion seeds and shallot seeds for farmers of Bautista and Bayambang while cans and packs of assorted vegetable seeds were provided to farmers from 31 municipalities of Pangasinan.
Meanwhile, Gov. Espino told the farmers that in line with the mitigation of the anticipated El Nino, the province will start next week the repair of communal irrigation system and construction of some 183 shallow tube wells around the province as he assured to upgrade the facilities in the coming year upon the approval of the P50 million budget proposed for the project.
He also urged the farmers to seek the help of the provincial government and DA for their farming needs so that they can help provide their needs to improve their productivity as the province remains to be a farming community in the next 30 to 50 years.
Perdido likewise called on the farmers to give importance to the assistance they are provided and use them well towards the upliftment of their living conditions as he expressed admiration to the able leadership of Gov. Espino who has willingly provided help to his people in distress. /ADV