The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is set to extend food aid and emergency loans to farmers and fishermen affected by the ongoing fighting in Lanao del Sur.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said he has directed all regional offices of the DA in Mindanao to start milling rice, which will be distributed to the farmers, fishermen and their families displaced by the conflict.
“A poultry company based in Davao City, Anas Breeder Farm, which is now producing canned ready-to-eat rice with chicken afritada or adobo has pledged to produce enough volume to be able to provide halal food to evacuees who belong to the farm sector,” Piñol said in a statement.
“Anas Breeder Farm owner Jonathan Ng Suy said the firm’s donation will be coursed through the DA and will be continued for a certain period of time,” he added.
Piñol said this is the first time that the canned ready-to-eat rice meal will be offered to the public as it is not yet commercially available.
“The distribution of the rice and the canned goods will be based on the listing of farming and fishing families available through the national directory of farmers and fishermen from the Department of Budget and Management [DBM],” he said.
The DA chief said the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) will also be directed to validate the list of Lanao del Sur farmers and fishermen and to provide emergency-loan assistance through its survival and recovery (SURE) loans program.
“Each family will be entitled to a Survival Loan of at least P5,000 and when things get back to normal, they could apply for a loan under the recovery program amounting to at least P20,000,” Piñol said.
In view of the difficulty in locating farmers and fishermen affected by the conflict, the DA said it will relay mainly on the listing of DBM for the extension of the loans.
Piñol said the distribution of the rice, canned goods and other food items will be done by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.