In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, the flame of the passion of Caraga Farmers to plant keep on flickering.

This is how the farmers in the town of Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte feels after receiving farm equipment from the Department of Agriculture-Caraga recently.

DA-Caraga distributed various post-harvest equipment in support to cassava and corn farmers in Butuan City and Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte delivered right at their doorsteps.

The equipment distributed were four units of cassava chipper; four units of cassava granulator; and one unit each of vacuum pack sealer, cassava grater, cassava pulverizer, cassava digger, and a corn mill amounting to 2 Million Pesos.

Recipient of the said equipment were two farmers associations in Butuan City and six in Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte.

One of the recipients is the Lingayao Kahayagan Cassava Farmers Association who received cassava chipper, granulator, pulverizer, and a digger.

“I am looking forward that comes harvest, cassava digger can help us to make harvesting easier, and we may engage in processing using the equipment we have from DA,” Roberto Calapre, president of the association said.

Lingayao Kahayagan Cassava Farmers Association currently planted around 20 hectares of cassava and set to harvest comes yearend.

“Though it is our first time to plant cassava, I am optimistic that something good will happen with the support from DA,” Calapre said.

DA-Caraga through the Agribusiness and Marketing Division (AMAD) and the LGU of Las Nieves has been assisting the association to market their products at a good price.

For the current year, Caraga Region has been targeting a production area of 2,766 hectares with a production of 24,322 metric ton (MT) for cassava.

“DA is focusing its support to the farmers to stand amidst the pandemic we’ve experience nowadays,” Regional Executive Director Abel James Monteagudo said.

DA-Caraga has been supporting Caraga farmers with production inputs, pre and post-harvest facility as well as technical support to help the farmers become prosperous and resilient. (Aurelius P. Arais/DA-Caraga)