Koronadal City, South Cotabato, Philippines | May 14, 2026—–A total of 2,350 bags of fertilizer were distributed to farmer-beneficiaries in South Cotabato through the partnership of the Department of Agriculture High Value Crops Development Program (DA-HVCDP), the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist South Cotabato (OPAg), and the respective Offices of the Municipal Agriculturists (OMAg).
Dr. Raul Teves, Provincial Agriculturist, said the fertilizer assistance is intended to support coffee and lowland vegetable production, helping farmers improve crop productivity and sustain agricultural development in the province.
“The intervention aims to help farmers cope with rising production costs while ensuring that their crops receive adequate nutrients for higher yields and better income,” Teves said.
The assistance benefited 12 Farmers’ Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs) coming from the municipalities of Surallah, Tboli, Lake Sebu, Tampakan, Polomolok, and Banga held at the Provincial Nursery and Demonstration Farm in Banga.
“We have served at least 300 farmers for this project,” Teves said.
South Cotabato accounted for a production area of 2,559.5 hectares of land planted with coffee for the year 2025.
The successful implementation of the program was also made possible through the support of John B. Pascual, together with the Provincial Agriculture Office under the leadership of Dr. Teves, as well as various partner stakeholders and implementers.
The initiative forms part of the continuing efforts of DA-HVCDP and local agricultural offices to strengthen support for high-value crop farmers by providing essential farm inputs and enhancing productivity across South Cotabato’s agricultural communities.
