South Korea turns over P253-M agri centers to Quirino

THE KOREAN government turned over on Thursday two agricultural centers that would boost the income of some 650 farmer households in Quirino.

In a ceremony, Korea formally handed over to the province the completed Quirino Livelihood for Everyone (Q-LiFE) and cattle breeding centers (CBC), two of the major structures built under the USD9.5 million worth of Quirino Integrated Rural Development Project (QIRDP) Phase II.

Of the total funding, USD4.5 million (approximately PHP253 million) was allocated for the construction of Q-LiFE and CBC, while the remaining USD5 million was spent for capacity building, technical assistance and the distribution of seeds and calves to farmers.

The Korean Embassy in Manila said the QIRDP will help Quirino process meat, fruits and vegetables, tea, bread and noodles and other products at large quantities and sell these to neighboring provinces through the state-of-the-art Q-LiFE Center.

The CBC, on the other hand, would be used for cattle raising and distribution.

“The centers will showcase advanced and cutting-edge technologies and will benefit more than 650 farming households in Quirino Province for inclusive and sustainable rural development,” it said in a statement.

“The development project will contribute to poverty reduction by increasing farmers’ income and will also serve as a model of a comprehensive and integrated rural development initiative, not only to other provinces in the Philippines, but also to other developing countries around the world,” it added.

The construction of Q-LiFE and CBC started in 2018 and follows the completion of QIRDP’s Phase I, which. was also supported by a USD5 million grant from Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

Under Phase I, KOICA helped construct farm-to-market roads, establish a feed mill and mushroom production facilities and demonstrate improved farming technologies for agroforestry, among others.

The entire QIRDP covers 29 barangays in the municipalities of Aglipay, Cabarroguis, Diffun and Maddela. (Joyce Ann L. Rocamora)