The Bacarra Zanjera Irrigators Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BZIMPC) received the No Objection Letter 2 (NOL2) for the civil works component of its garlic enterprise on December 9, 2019.

The BZIMPC is the recipient of the Commercialization of Ilocos Garlic: The White Gold Treasure of the North Enterprise under the I-REAP Component of the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP). The enterprise which has a total investment cost of Php23,214,953.33 includes the construction of a Garlic Consolidation and Trading Center worth Php5,629,000.

The proposed facility will be located adjacent the Rice Processing Center of BZIMPC. It will be constructed at Brgy. 40 Buyon, Bacarra, Ilocos Norte. Dried garlic will be consolidated, classified, bundled, and packed in the consolidation and trading center before delivery to the target markets. The main purpose of the facility is to serve as an area for consolidation and storage of bundled and packed dried garlic. The total floor area of the facility is 128 sq. m., which can accommodate up to at least 60 MT of dried garlic. The consolidation area is near the highway and has easy access to electricity and water.

The Consolidation and Trading Center is required during the start of harvest season of garlic, which is from March to September. During off-season months, the consolidation facility can be utilized for storing planting materials of garlic growers for the next planting season, free of charge.

The Bacarra Zanjera Irrigators Multi-Purpose Cooperative is also a recipient of the Small Livelihood Project (SLP) of the PRDP. They received a Corn and Livestock Integration and Trading Enterprise worth Php1,347,500. According to the report of the I-REAP in Ilocos Region, the first cycle of the SLP involved 140 farmer members who raised 80 heads of pigs yielding a total weight of 5,360.5 kilograms and planted 50 hectares of corn yielding 30 metric tons. The total expenses incurred for a cylce of pig-raising and planting corn is Php1,087,810. Meanwhile, the gross sales is worth Php1,320,000 giving BZIMPC a net income of Php232,190 in the first cycle.

Aside from the good track record of the BZIMPC in implementing the PRDP SLP, it is also one of the biggest cooperatives in Ilocos Region.

The procurement of the rest of the components of the garlic enterprise will follow in the succeeding months. The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte will facilitate the procurement, given that it provided the enterprise’s 20% equity. (Ilocos InfoACE)