FARMER groups in Nueva Vizcaya have been qualified to receive smart farming projects and onion cold storage facilities worth P125.7 million after a validation and consultation meeting conducted by the Department of Agriculture Region Field Office (DA-RFO2) High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) team.
According to the DA-RFO2 headed by Executive Director Rosemary Aquino, the HVCDP team on August 13 conducted a validation and consultation meeting with the Alfonso Castañeda Vegetable Growers Associations (Alcavega), Abuyo Onion Farmers Association (AOFA) and the local government unit of Alfonso Castañeda who were identified as the beneficiaries for 2025.
The team was led by Roberto Busania, DA-RFO2 officer in charge regional technical director for operations and extension, along with Carol Albay, DA-HVCDP and National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program or Nupap regional coordinator; Timoteo Baysa, Alfonso Castañeda municipal agriculturist; Jonathan Argonia, agricultural program coordination officer; and other members and officials of the cooperative-beneficiaries in the said municipality.
Busania said Alcavega will be receiving P64.5 million worth of agricultural projects for production support funded under HVCDP broken down as follows: P10.5 million for greenhouses; P50 million for solar drip fertigation; P4 million worth of packing/pre-cooling house; and seed support amounting to P1 million.
On the other hand, AOFA and the municipal government of Alfonso Castañeda will receive P61.2 million worth of onion seed assistance and a cold storage facility.
Busania said the meeting’s agenda was to validate and capacitate the beneficiaries to manage and sustain the DA-RFO2 projects.
“As such, the activity aimed to refine the strategic framework, incorporate valuable insights and consider necessary recommendations,” he added. LEANDER C. DOMINGO