Pinol vows funds, technical staff for agri school reopening in Antique

Pinol visited Antique to hold discussions with farmers and fisherfolks and to turnover PHP47-million worth of assistance. He also said that he had discussed with Senator Loren Legarda the reopening of ANAS to offer agriculture courses. (PNA Photo)

SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique, Aug.9 — Agriculture Secretary  Emmanuel F.

Pinol on Wednesday gave his commitment to provide funding and technical staff  for the reopening of the Antique National Agricultural School (ANAS) in San Remigio, Antique.

Pinol visited Antique to hold discussions with farmers and fisherfolks and to turnover PHP47-million worth of assistance. He also said that he had discussed with Senator Loren Legarda the reopening of ANAS to offer agriculture courses.

The Department of Agriculture (DA)  will provide the funding and technical staff to the school. “This is one of the issues discussed with DA by Senator Legarda and were are fully  supportive of it,” he said.

He added that agricultural training schools are needed in the country to produce young farmers.

The secretary, during discussions with farmers and fisherfolks dubbed “Tapatan: Gobyerno at Mamayan “, said DA is coming out with innovations for technology transfer to help farmers become more knowledgeable about cultivation and thus increase their production.

He showed farmers how to access the soil suitability and water availability maps as well as the national fertilization map in the website.

He said that through the use of modern technology, farmers will be able to know the climatic condition, water availability and fertilizer needed by their farms.

He also asked the local chief executives to encourage farmers to plant hybrid rice for better yield.

He said that DA is offering a financing program of PHP20,000 per hectare with a measly interest of  six percent with no collateral required so that farmers planting hybrid seeds can be further assisted.

He added that the same program will be introduced to Overseas Filipino Workers to be  a part of  “Adopt-a-farm” program where they will be financing farm lots and get six percent interests from from the money borrowed from them. (PNA)