At least six agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) in Sultan Kudarat province have been given 300 bags of vermicompost and 130 gallons of organic foliar fertilizer by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

Rushdi Mindalano, provincial agrarian reform program officer, said the assistance aims to boost the ARBOs’ agricultural production and promote a healthy way of producing food without harming the environment.

“It has always been our aim to ease the problems of the farmers by helping them achieve higher farming productivity and profitability through the provision of support services,” Mindalano said in a statement Wednesday.

Amounting to PHP247,350, he said the farm inputs were provided to the ARBOs in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III to help improve the lives of the farmers.

The ARBOs which each received 22 gallons of foliar fertilizer and 50 sacks of vermicompost were the Agrarian Reform Farmers Association in Tacurong City; the Silang Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association in Bagumbayan; the Palimbang Entrepreneurs Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries’ Organization in Palimbang town; and the Sitio Lagon Farmers’ Multi-Purpose Cooperative in President Quirino town.

Likewise, the Kangkong Farmers Association and Tagumpay Vegetable Growers Association, both located in Esperanza town, each received 21 gallons of foliar and 50 sacks of organic fertilizers.

Hernane Fermo, president of the Agrarian Reform Farmers Association, said the assistance “will surely help us to produce better products that we can sell competitively in the market.”

The agricultural inputs were delivered under DAR’s Sustainable and Resilient Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs) program, which aims to promote vegetable production to combat the effect of climate change. (PNA)