Corn farmers in conflict-vulnerable area get P700K assistance from DOST-IX
The said funds will be used to improve product quality. This means that no more mixture of corn hulls in corn grits after milling will be done and at the same time the assistance will increase milling capacity from 192-208 kg/hour to 250 kg/hour.
Funding worth P723,200.00 was recently handed over to the members of the Tinuyop Rural Improvement Club (TRIC) in Zamboanga del Norte by the Department of Science and Technology Regional Office No. IX (DOST-IX), through the agency’s Grant-in-Aid (GIA) program for the upgrading of a corn mill facility.
Prior to the implementation of the project, the community relied on bringing their produce to a neighboring mill that chalks up additional costs for fuel and hauling.
Along with the mentioned advancements, members of the association also received training on equipment operation and maintenance provided by the supplier, Bongbong Mechanical Shop, in coordination with DOST-IX and the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO).
Barangay Tinuyop is an assistance-priority community identified by the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) for its vulnerability to militant struggle. Interventions by the DOST and other agencies in the area are part of the “whole-of-nation” approach in ending insurgency as stipulated in Executive Order No. 70, series of 2018.
Aside from Tinuyop, DOST-IX, through its Provincial Science and Technology Center (PSTC), also assisted a community in Sindangan and is set to assist two more areas in the province this year.
For more information on the other projects and assistance, please contact DOST-IX Provincial Science and Technology Center - Zamboanga del Norte at (065) 212-2244/ 908-0117/ 0998-792-4622. To be updated on the latest happenings, follow the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DOSTRegion9 ((Arman E. Aquino, DOST-IX- Press Release)
