Mango growers participating in Science and Technology Community-Based Mango Farming Project of the Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU) can now avail of pesticide loan at zero interest from Land Bank of the Philippines.
The project “Improvement of Mango Production through Science and Technology Innovations and Support Mechanisms for Capacity Development in Bataan and Zambales”
is funded under CHED Discovery-Applied Research and Extension for Trans/Inter-disciplinary Opportunities (DARE TO) Research Grant.
The project, already in the second phase, has 45 mango-cooperators in Bataan and 10 from Palauig, Zambales plus an intended mango model farm inside the campus of Bulacan Agricultural State College.
BPSU Vice President for Research and Training Services and Project Leader Dr. Hermogenes Paguia, said mango farmer-cooperators who are Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)-accredited can avail of the P35 thousand pesticide loan at zero interest from LandBank to be paid after the harvest.
“The soft loan is part of the sustainability plan of the project”, he said.
The provision of loan is under Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund ACEF Program, which provides necessary credit to farmers and fisher folks. Land Bank and Department of Agriculture facilitate the program.
