ZAMBOANGA CITY, 5 July (PIA) – The Teresita Farmers Association in the municipality of Piñan, Zamboanga del Norte received on June 25 a vegetable production package as part of the government’s plant, plant, plant program.

The Department of Agriculture-Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program turned over a vegetable production project worth Php 235,800.00 that aims to increase the vegetable production of the farmer association (FA) in the municipality.

It is one of the livelihood interventions that the 44-member association received this year.

Teresita FA President Pablito Cating was grateful to the DA-SAAD Program and the LGU for the project.

"This will serve as additional income to our main source of livelihood and will really improve our living,” Cating said.

Piñan Sanggunian Board Member Gina Aleta encouraged the farmers to work hard and care for the project to succeed, saying that the government will always support and assist the association in overcoming some challenges in project implementation.

The vegetable production package consists of 20 Plastic crates, 20 seedling trays, and farm inputs such as 20 bags urea, 20 bags complete fertilizers and assorted vegetable seeds like eggplant, okra, cabbage, squash, ampalaya and string beans.

Piñan Municipal Agriculturist Merlie C. Regencia said that farmers will be trained in managing the project.

"We will not stop at planting but also consider engaging in processing vegetables and vegetable by-products. We strongly support this project and we will be conducting meetings to plan and organize every step that we have to take to make this very successful,” she said.

The Vegetable Production Project is a communal garden where members will have a shared responsibility in managing the farm. On the first week of July, the association are set to start with land preparation in their one-hectare farm.

The DA-SAAD Program provides assistance to its farmer-partners to show support in the DA's twin goal Masaganang Ani at MataasNaKita and the government's Plant, Plant, Plant Program. (NBE/RVC/PIA9 with reports from Aimee Lou S. Madjus/DA-RFO IX, RAFIS)