MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has turned over a P6 million processing facility to calamansi farmers in Camarines Sur.
The DA, through the High Value Crops Development Program, turned over a calamansi processing plant in Barangay Sta. Maria, Lagonoy to the Lagonoy Calamansi Farmers Agriculture Cooperative (LACAFA).
“Apart from calamansi processing, it is necessary to focus on other crops and products and also study to being an entrepreneur,” DA OIC – director of Bureau of Plant Industry and concurrent program director of the National Urban & Peri-Urban Agriculture and High Value Crops Development Program Gerald Glenn Panganiban said.
LACAFA general manager Roy Nelson Ramos said the project would be a big help to farmers to multiply and speed up the processing of the product.
“Our operation has only been in operation for one year and we have already seen its potential,” he said.
The association has more than 39 regular members and a total of 80 hectares production area.
“In the whole of Lagonoy, almost 124 hectares are planted with calamansi,” Ramos said.
Organized in 2020, the LACAFA is now composed of 62 members who are all calamansi growers covering a total of 64 hectares.
They started processing calamansi juice at the Partido State University (PSU) shared service facility.
At present, the LACAFA has three variants of calamansi juice: concentrated calamansi, ready to drink and calamansi puree – all bearing the brand name Calman-C.
Lagonoy Mayor Delfin Pilapil III said the town is one of the biggest calamansi producers.
DA-5 regional executive director Rodel Tornilla challenged the officers and members to sustain the operation of the said facility.
“The project will run smoothly with the help of various agencies especially in strengthening institutional development and also a big challenge is how they will increase their membership to help not only the members but the entire town of Lagonoy,” he said.