MAFAR minister Dr. Mohammad S. Yacob led the groundbreaking ceremony of the Php-5Million warehouse project with a solar drier at Brgy. Bialong, Shariff Aguak, in Maguindanao on Aug. 5, 2021.
COTABATO CITY—Hundreds of rice farmers situated in the SPMS Box (Shariff Aguak, Pagatin, Mamasapano, and Shariff Saydona) in Maguindanao are set to improve their farming activity as BARMM’s agriculture ministry broke ground a warehouse project with a solar drier on Thursday.
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform’s (MAFAR) Engineering Division will man the construction of the infrastructure facility located at Brgy. Bialong, Shariff Aguak, in Maguindanao.
The facility is the combination of a storage building with drying pavement, where the farmers of Brgy. Bialong and neighboring barangays may use for safe storing and efficient drying of their produced agri-product.
According to MAFAR Minister Dr. Mohammad Yacob, beneficiaries of the project are Salindao Farmers Marketing Cooperatives which is composed of more than 100 rice farmers.
“Malawak iyong area nila at ‘yun ang dahilan [kung] bakit sila ang napili ng ministry bilang beneficiary ng project. Sila rin ay nakasentro sa loob ng SPMS box kung saan malawak ang taniman ng palay,” Yacob said.
[Their area is vast, which is why the ministry chose them as the beneficiary of the project. They are also centered inside the SPMS box where the paddy field is extensive.]
Yacob also shared that the engineers of the ministry had assessed the area and concluded that the farmers really need this kind of project.
“Sa lawak ng area nila ay wala silang ganoong kalaking warehouse na pwedeng maka-accommodate ng 1,000 bags or more,” Yacob emphasized.
[Despite their vast area, they do not have such a large warehouse that can accommodate 1,000 bags or more.]
The ministry earmarked a total of Php5-Million budget for the said project under the Bangsamoro Appropriation Act (BAA) 2020.
Meanwhile, the construction of the warehouse project is expected to be completed on Feb. 3, 2022. (Bangsamoro Information Office)
