GENERAL SANTOS CITY (07 February 2014) – City Mayor Ronnel Rivera has proposed two projects for the agricultural and food/trade transport development for the city to Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Proceso Alcala and to DA Regional Field Unit 12 (DA-RFU XII) director Amalia Datukan.
Mayor Rivera personally pitched the projects while he was in a meeting with Sec. Alcala and Director Datukan at Greenleaf Hotel Wednesday (February 05).
The first project is the "Value Chain for Mango in General Santos City" which was formulated by the Office of the City Agriculturist head Merlinda Donasco and the General Santos Mango and Fruit Growers Association headed by Camar Paidumama.
The proposal highlights the needs of GenSan’s mango industry in terms of funding support for mango production (flower induction), funding support for marketing mango, and a research on the good agricultural practices of mango growers and contractors in the city.
A total of P45,284,800 is requested for the project.
According to Mayor Rivera, there are about 1,929.93 hectares of land in the city that are being planted with mango by around 263 farmers and growers.
Rivera emphasized that the project will significantly increase the potential of the mango growers and farmers to innovate their practices and methods of bolstering their production throughout the region.
The second project includes the local government of General Santos City (LGU-GSC) through the City Economic Management and Cooperative Development Office (CEMCDO) to redevelop the City Central Public Market and its surrounding areas.
The redevelopment could either be a total or partial refurbishment of the public market.
The CEMCDO estimates the cost of the project at around P20 million through a counterpart funding support from DA.
Another component of the second project proposal is to structuralize the Integrated Regional Food Terminal (IFT) in the city which includes the construction of food terminal with processing area, "AAA Hog Abattoir" and "AA Cattle, Goat and Sheep Abattoir".
Last November 20, 2013, the IFT was already endorsed by the SOCSKSARGEN Area Development Project (ADP) Board through Resolution Nos. 2 and 3 with a budget of P130 million .
Rivera emphasized that GenSan will have problems attaining a "trade hub" status for Region 12 if the city has no facility such as the IFT.
The mayor also emphasized that he is doing his best to prepare the city for the upcoming Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Integration this 2015, which will include more liberalized trading when the ASEAN Economic Community will come into play.
Sec. Alcala indicated his support for the endeavors of Mayor Rivera and acknowledged the importance and worthy effects of his agricultural plans for GenSan.
The agriculture secretary personally endorsed the said projects to Director Datukan for review and immediate approval. (GEN. SANTOS INFO OFFICE/Ian John M. Lagare)
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