Farmers in 6 Maguindanao towns get UN-FAO aid

COTABATO CITY -- Approximately 3,000 farmers in six towns of Maguindanao received
agricultural input packages from the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization (UN-FAO) with the help of Magungaya Mindanao Incorporated (MMI),
its partner non-government organization (NGO).

The distribution of the agricultural input packages was done from
March 5 to 9 in coordination with the Department of Agriculture-Maguindanao
through the municipal agricultural officers (MAO), mayors or representatives of
the local government units in each of the recipient towns.

The beneficiary towns included Datu Salibo (March 5), Datu Saudi
Ampatuan (March 6), Shariff Aguak (March 7) Mamasapano (March8), Rajah Buayan (March
8), and Datu Piang (March 9).Maguindanao Provincial Agricultural Officer Daud K. Lagasi also
handed over a corn planter to farmers in Rajah Buayan under the Corn Program of
the Department of Agriculture in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao
(DAF-ARMM).

According to UN-FAO Agronomist and Peacebuilding specialist Cesar
Galvan, who also actively participated in the distribution, the acivity is part
of the project FAO Marawi and Maguindanao Response which aims to help the
farmers affected by battles between government forces and rebel groups.

The project is funded by the government of New Zealand through the
NZ Aide Programme and the Government of Belgium through the Belgian Development
Cooperation, according to project team leader Mario Corado.

The project was initiated by the UN-FAO in response to a DAF-ARMM Secretary
Alexander Alonto Jr. (April Piquero/NDU-BAComm3)