The Government of Japan will officially turn over 26,135 metric tons of fertilizers to the Government of the Philippines in a ceremony which will be held in Iloilo City on November 4, 2009 between Ambassador Katsura of Japan and a senior official of the Department of Agriculture. These comprise part of the 26,135 metric tons of fertilizer worth 480 million yen or approximately 253 million pesos procured by the Philippine Government under the 31st Japan Grant Assistance for Underprivileged Farmers Program (formerly known as 2KR or Japan's Increased Food Production Program). These farm inputs will be distributed to target farmer-beneficiaries with landholdings of two (2) hectares or below in selected 14 provinces by the Department of Agriculture through the National Agricultural and Fishery Council (NAFC).
The first shipment of 6,635 metric tons of fertilizers arrived in Davao on September 9, 2009. This initial batch of fertilizers was offered for bidding and distribution to selected marginalized farmers in Mindanao, particularly the provinces of Agusan del Sur, Bukidnon, Davao del Norte and South Cotabato.
The turnover ceremony at the Iloilo port on November 4th is for the second batch of 6,000 metric tons which arrived in Iloilo City on October 2, 2009 and unloaded on October 16, 2007. These will be apportioned to underprivileged farmer-beneficiaries in Iloilo and Negros Occidental provinces.
The third shipment of 6,000 metric tons is expected to arrive at the Subic port in Zambales during the third week of November. These will be distributed to typhoon affected provinces in Northern Luzon namely, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Isabela and Cagayan Valley.
The fourth and final shipment of 7,500 metric tons is expected to arrive in the port of Subic, Zambales within the first and second week of December. These will be allocated to low-income farmers in provinces affected by typhoons such as Tarlac, Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija.
The proceeds from these farm inputs are estimated at 161.77 million pesos. The Government of the Philippines, in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan, will monitor the distribution of the commodities and ensure that these agricultural inputs will reach the target farmer-beneficiaries in these selected provinces.
The Exchange of Notes for this Grant-Aid was signed between Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Makoto Katsura and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo last March 30, 2009.
For the past thirty years, the Grant Assistance for Underprivileged Farmers Program (formerly known as the 2KR Program) has made a positive impact on the livelihood of Filipino farmers and this recent tranche reaffirms Japan's commitment to support the efforts of the Government of the Philippines to alleviate poverty and achieve food self-sufficiency.
