View source for Farmers’ group receives tractor

*Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/zamboanga/local-news/2016/05/18/farmers-group-receives-tractor-474292
*Wednesday, May 18, 2016 
:By Bong Garcia

THE Department of Agriculture (DA), through its Agri-Pinoy Corn Program, has turned over P2.2 million four-wheel drive tractor to an association of farmers in the province of Zamboanga del Sur.

The recipient of the tractor, which was turned over recently, is the Sayog Farmers Association of the village of Sayog, San Miguel, Zamboanga del Sur.

Dr. Carlito Larubis, Zamboanga del Sur agricultural program coordinator, said the tractor was acquired through counterparting scheme.

Larubis said the DA shouldered 85 percent of the tractor’s cost representing P1.8 million while the remaining P333,000 or 15 percent by the farmers association.

Larubis said the tractor given to the farmers would boost the association’s production, especially corn, and “make farming less strenuous.”

The village of Sayog has an estimated corn area of 238 hectares of which 160 hectares are intercropped under coconut trees while the remaining 78 hectares are monocrop.

The farmers in the village have a yield of 8.4 metric tons for yellow corn and 3.5 metric tons for white corn per hectare every cropping season.