FIRST Community Cooperative (FICCO), one of the largest cooperatives in the country, has expressed interest to help resurrect the sorry state of agricultural productivity in Miarayon, Talakag, Bukidnon.
This was announced by Department of Agriculture (DA) 10 director Apollo Pacamalan December 18 during a meeting with local media in Cagayan de Oro City.
Once a vegetable gold mine decades ago, Miarayon’s agricultural productivity has steadily declined in recent years largely blamed on market mismatch.
“The farmers were solely reliant on Manila markets,” Pacamalan said.
Along this line, Pacamalan said that FICCO has committed P20 million to fund the construction of a solar irrigation facility in the area.
A solar irrigation system uses photovoltaic panels to convert sunlight into electricity, powering water pumps for farming, increasing water access for remote farms and improving crop yields and farmer income.
The Philippines typically uses this kind of irrigation system as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to grid systems, thereby reducing both fuel costs and emissions.
Pacamalan welcomed FICCO’s gesture, saying this will help reverse the declining agricultural productivity in Miarayon.
The project is expected to start this January.
During its peak, Miarayon was producing high value temperate vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, lettuce and even Arabica coffee.
Based here in Cagayan de Oro City, FICCO is one of the largest cooperatives in the country with assets estimated at P19 billion according to latest filings. PIA PHOTO
