The endeavour to build a model for rural development to address poverty in Lanao del Sur starts this week in Taraka, a town with 66.86% poverty incidence.
Planning and technical staff from the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) will start today the capability and livelihood training in the town of 30,000 people.
It will also include face-to-face data gathering covering the town’s 43 barangays to build a computerized data base of all farmers and fishermen.
The livelihood and capability training is the first step taken by MinDA in developing Taraka into a model for rural development in Lanao del Sur.
On March 21, MinDA and its private sector partners will launch the Maranao New Hope Agricultural Learning Center (MAHAL Center) which will serve as the training center for farmers of Lanao del Sur.
Among the activities lined up for the March 21 event are:
-Signing of P100-M loan agreement between the Development Bank of the Philippines and Taraka LGU for the Solar-Powered Irrigation and Water System;
– Turn-over of 22 heads of dairy goats for the Small Ruminants multiplier farm;
-Turn-over of 4,300 Ready-to-Lay young hens for egg production in every barangay;
– Turn-over of egg-laying ducks under the Department of Agriculture’s Itik Pinas Program;
– Turn-over of fish nets and Tilapia fingerlings for the fish cage farming in Lake Lanao;
– Turn-over of Sorghum seeds for 200-hectares and signing of marketing agreement with PILMICO Feeds Corp.
Included in the program is the development the Economic Enterprise Office of Taraka to manage the Solar-Powered Water and Irrigation Systems to ensure the repayment of the loan.
The Solar-Powered Irrigation Systems are expected to irrigate 2,000 hectares of rice farms and generate an income of P300-M for farmers of the town.
By building a model town in the midst of a former conflict area, MinDA hopes to encourage other towns in the province to copy the programs.
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