Agri dep’t allocates P855.7M for province

The Department of Agriculture has allocated P855,788,090 in eight banner programs for Negros Occidental in 2024, according to documents provided by Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson today showed.

Farm-to-market roads (FMR) had the biggest share with P410,000,000.

A total of 20 FMR projects have been identified in 17 local government units in the province of which four are in Bacolod City.

Of the FMR projects, the Brgy. Granada in Bacolod and the Brgy. Calapi to Sitio Talaptap FMR in Hinigaran town have been allocated P50 million each, the biggest allocation.

The rice program got P363,926,290; livestock program-P55,450,000; high value crop crops development program-P8,505,000; Special Area for Agriculture Development (SAAD)-P7,603,000; National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program-P4,485,000; organic agriculture program-P4,010,000 and corn program-P1,808,800.

Dennis Arpia, DA 6 executive director, visited Lacson on Tuesday and presented the departments programs for Negros Occidental.

The governor said the provincial government is “also aggressive in its FMR program.”

“We should ensure that there is no duplication,” Lacson said.

He added that Arpia will be having office in the province on a monthly basis.

“His gonna give time to Negros so that there plans will be implemented,” he also said.* (EYA)