Zero percent loan for city farmers

CEBU, Philippines - As the rainy season starts, which might affect the livelihood of farmers, the Cebu City Department of Agriculture will grant zero interest loan for them starting next month.

City Agriculturist Joey Baclayon said the approved budget for the loan program is P5 million, which he admitted to be insufficient considering that  there are some 14,000 farmers in the city comprising 56 associations.

This is just the start though, he said.

“So kun mo-work ni siya, ma-monitor ni og maayo,  ato ning i-expand kay kaning money mobalik ra man ni. Kon maayo gyud ang payment makabayad gyud kaayo sila, modugang pa ta maybe additional P5 million,” said Baclayon.

The farmers can avail the loan program either by individual or by group. Based on the initial plan of the department, if by individual, each farmer can loan from P10,000 to P20,000, while if by group, each association can loan from P25,000 up to P50,000 or they could even go as much as P100,000, said Baclayon. The farmers shall pay within a year.

Before the city grants them the loan, the farmers have to present first their proposal to make sure that they can produce products through the money that they will borrow.

The City agriculturist further emphasized that for individual, farmers who could avail of the program are those who are official residents of the city, the livelihood is really farming, those with skills, and have attended trainings.

For the group, the association should be accredited by DA, operated for one to two years with good standing, and with complete officers. 

Meanwhile, with its aim to enhance the delivery of products, DA has asked the City Council to allocate funds amounting to P300,000.00 to procure hauling trucks for the farmers in the uphill barangays.

The Cebu City Federation  of  Farmers  Association and Cooperatives Inc. will be the beneficiaries of the two hauling trucks, which will be distributed to the south and north districts.

CCFF comprises 34 primary associations and 6 farmer cooperatives situated in different hillyland barangays engaged in farming enterprise, both crops and livestock.

“The purpose of this is to haul vegetable products gikan sa farm nga dad-on sa atong market,” said Baclayon.

CCFF requested for permanent hauling trucks since the City government, which, for two years, has provided them trucks to get their products from the farm, also caters other cooperatives.

“If we see that they can sustain or establish in a certain place, lain na pud nga cooperatives ang tabangan nga maka display,” he stated.

The city government helps the farmers by coordinating with the urban barangays for them to have space to display their products without pay and settles the schedule as to when the farmers can do so.

The City also organized the Farmers Entrepreneurship Program, which is composed of a group of farmers who supply products to institutional buyers.

Baclayon added that they are also planning on proposing for the purchase of two refrigerative van amounting to P1.5 million for farmers in order for them to deliver their fresh and already sorted products to companies or institutions.

“Para di gubot unya fresh ang product since gikan sa farm then ig byahe sa refrigerative van para i-deliver, dili madaot  ang  mga produkto,” he explained. —  (FREEMAN)