San Jose, Nueva Ecija – Ampalaya farmers received the Ampalaya Consolidation Building, a civil work sub-project of the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) I-REAP component.

A turn-over ceremony for the Ampalaya Consolidation Building was held last January 30 in Brgy. Porais, San Jose City, Nueva Ecija. PRDP personnel, local government officials, and farmer beneficiaries were in attendance.

The building was built for the 123 farmer-members of SIKKAP San Jose Ampalaya Enterprise, a farmer cooperative consisting of three component groups; Kapisanan ng mga Babae na Nagtatanim ng Gulay atbp. (KABANGA), Simula ng Panibagong Bukas Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SIPBU), and Kapisungan Producers Cooperative (KAPISOCO). It is also expected to benefit 173 non-member farmers.

The structure will be used as a sorting, washing, packing and consolidation site for ampalaya and other vegetables produced by the enterprise. These produce will be then sold to both institutional and wet markets.

The 300 sq. m structure has a total construction cost of P2, 934,575.51, 80% of the total budget came from World Bank, 10% the Government of the Philippines (GOP) and the other 10% from the Local Government of Nueva Ecija.

Aside from the structure, ampalaya seeds and packing house equipment such as; a weighing scale, trolley, industrial fan, plastic crates and pallets were also provided to the enterprise.

The certificate of turn-over was received by Almira Almirol chairman of KABANGA and Allan Benitez chairman of SIPBU. (Kayla Lingad, RPCO3 InfoACE Unit)