QUEZON CITY -- Farmers belonging to the Laicor Fishpond Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LAFIMCO) in the town of Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur received a food processing facility worth P800,000 from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

Implemented through the department’s Linking Smallholder Farmers to the Market or LinksFARM Project, the provision of the food processing facility will benefit 120 farmers responsible for the cultivation of 1,000 hectares in the area.

DAR Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Judith Mantos said that aside from the construction of the facility, the cooperative also received a freezer, steel tables, weighing scales, sealers, and fishnets.

“Aside from farming, farmers in Barangay Balas, here in Aurora rely on fishing for additional income. They culture tilapia for their “tilapia crunch” product which they sell in public markets,” Mantos said.

Through LinksFARM, the farmers of LAFIMCO were taught how to culture tilapia, shrimps, and crabs and turn them into ready-to-eat crispy, crunchy treats.

Mantos said Barangay Balas is underdeveloped with rough roads and is very far from the market center. The place is surrounded by a very large pond which makes it hard for residents and other town folks to trade and do business with.

“People here are isolated by the vast pond. You need to ride a motorized boat for around 35-45 mins before you can reach Brgy. Balas, where the food processing facility is. That is why this processing facility will be a great help to them. They now have additional income for their families,” Mantos said.

Under the LinksFARM Project, the farmers of LAFIMCO are being helped by the DAR in linking them to buyers of their crunchy treats.

“At present, most of their buyers come from selling in the public markets. They also have orders from the local government units of Aurora and DTI (Department of Trade and Industry). We are working now to link them to institutional buyers for their product,” Mantos said.(DAR)