By Alfonso T.Ruda
DIPOLOG CITY - Considering
that Zamboanga del Norte is an agricultural province with coconut as its major
product, the provincial government and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA)
have decided to join hands in developing the coconut industry in the province.
During
its recent regular session, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) has approved the
resolution sponsored by Board Member Crisologo Dicierdo seeking to grant authority
to Governor Roberto Y. Uy to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the
Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA)-9, through its Regional Manager Ralph S.
Hamoy.
Under
the agreement, the provincial government is tasked to plant and propagate good
quality seednuts in the various nurseries of the province and identify the
farmer-recipients who will plant the seedlings.
On
the other hand, the obligation of the PCA is to pay P18 for every good quality
seednut grown at the various nurseries of the provincial government and pay P22
for every seednut planted and grown by the recipient coconut farmers in their
respective farms.
To ensure that all seednuts will
really grow healthy, the PCA will provide technical assistance to the coconut
farmers by giving them appropriate training on the proper and modern methods of
coconut farming.
The unified effort of the provincial
government and the PCA to plant coconut is part of the planting and replanting
program of the agency which aims to increase the farmers’ income and to restore
coconut industry as the top dollar-earning agricultural product of the country. (PIA9)
