LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Goods and equipment for the Potato Tuberlets Production and Marketing Enterprise were turned over on March 23, to the Self Reliant Team (SRT) La Trinidad Cooperative of Benguet here.
“This project is indeed a realization of dreams. We were able to find a way to make it happen with the assistance of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the LGU,” said SRT BOD Chair Freddie Langapaoen, as he shared how the cooperative envisioned to provide farmers with clean and accessible potato planting materials.
Implemented under the DA’s Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), the P12.28-million (M) enterprise subproject aims to sustain the production and delivery of quality potato planting materials and make it accessible to farmers.
During the turnover ceremony, La Trinidad Mayor Romeo K. Salda complimented everyone for their concerted efforts towards the realization of the enterprise subproject.
“To all the members and officers of SRT, let us continue our partnership in providing services to our farmers,” he said.
Jocelyn W. Beray, I-REAP (Enterprise Development) component head of the Regional Project Coordination Office-CAR (RPCO-CAR) also commended the SRT Cooperative and the LGU for their counterpart funding and for successfully acquiring the goods through a Community Force Account (CFA) procurement mode.
“We hope that this enterprise will suffice and sustain the demand for clean potato planting materials and that the greenhouse component of this subproject will be constructed the soonest for this enterprise to fully operate,” she added.
Among the goods that were turned over to the PG is one delivery truck, pallets, crates, seedling media, hand trolleys, shovels, and knapsack sprayers.
In support to the enterprise, a 400-square meter greenhouse with storage worth P3.7 M will also be constructed along with the installation of elevated seed beds and steel cabinets inside the greenhouse.
To date, the municipality of La Trinidad has already four completed and two ongoing enterprise subprojects in support of the production and marketing of the municipality’s top commodities. **Elvy Taquio Estacio (DA-PRDP)
