The Department of Agriculture in Bicol (DA-5) has distributed PHP17.3 million worth of agricultural interventions to various farmers’ cooperatives and associations in Camarines Sur under the High-Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP).

In an interview on Friday, Lovella Guarin, DA-Bicol spokesperson, said 19 farmers’ cooperatives from Camarines Sur received plastic crates, soil conditioner, organic fertilizer, lowland vegetable seeds, plastic mulch, grass cutters, and mini-chainsaws this week.

“These interventions aim to help farmers increase productivity, boost their income, and optimize their time. They also serve to enhance their farming practices and support their livelihoods,” she said.

The recipient farmers’ cooperatives were from the towns of Baao, Bula, Calabanga, Ocampo, Del Gallego, Goa, Iriga City, Lagonoy, Libmanan, Nabua, Ocampo, Pasacao, Pili, San Jose, Tigaon, and Tinambac.

Guarin added the DA also supports the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program by providing PHP1.3 million worth of agricultural products to 100 public schools in Camarines Sur.

The package contains 58 packets of assorted vegetable seeds, two rolls of vegetable twine, a plastic crate, a bag of vermicast, 10 seedling trays, a roll of garden hose, a pruning shear, a shovel, a rake, a sprinkler, a hoe, a bolo, two hand trowels, two hand forks, hoe cultivators, and two hand sprayers.

In a statement, DA officer-in-charge Regional Technical Director for Operations Mary Grace Rodriguez said the GPP aims to promote food security by producing nutritious food.

“It also aims to instill an appreciation for agriculture in students to help them understand the importance of consuming vegetables,” she said. (PNA)