The Department of Agriculture-5 (Bicol) will start to distribute PHP4.2 million worth of agricultural interventions for cacao and coconut farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) in Camarines Sur, an official said Wednesday.

In an interview, Lovella Guarin, DA-5 spokesperson, said 16 coconut and cacao FCAs with more than 100 farmer-members from 12 towns of the province will receive assistance under the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP), which aims to increase income, productivity and social equity, promote education, alleviate poverty and modernize the Philippine coconut industry.

She said, “PHP2.25 million worth of interventions for the rehabilitation and PHP1.95 for the expansion of the cacao plantations will be given to the 16 FCAs in the province. The distribution will be conducted this month since the interventions are all for delivery already.”

“The project aims to provide support to smallholder coconut farmers and their families to assist them in gaining sustainable employment and income by intercropping cacao and coffee. It will also maximize the utilization of coconut lands for increased productivity, increase the level of local sufficiency for coffee and cacao, develop community-based enterprises, and capacitate farmers to conserve and protect the natural resources that support their livelihoods,” Guarin said.

The interventions, she noted, include seedlings, organic fertilizer, and farming tools.

The FCAs that are set to benefit from the government aid are the Malabog Integrated Farmers Association of Caramoan town; Del Vega Farmers Association Inc. of Baao; Baao Upland Farmers Association; Monte Calvario Smart Farmers Cooperative of Buhi; Aliar Coconut Farmers Agriculture Coop. of San Fernando; and the Calabanga Cacao Growers Association, among others. (PNA)