DIPOLOG CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 23, 2013) – The Department of Trade and Industry handed over 15 weighing scales to two small rubber farmer organizations in Zamboanga del Norte’s Tampilisan town.
The weighing scales, which has a capacity of 500 kilos, is in response to the farmers’ longstanding complaints of under-weighing by some unscrupulous traders who reportedly use “doctored” weighing scales in buying their products.
DTI provincial director Noel Bazan said it is high time for small rubber holders to go higher in the value chain of rubber products for instance, by producing and selling direct to the export market products like ribbed smoked sheet or crepe which command better prices instead of just crumb rubber.
Bazan said that for next year, his office envisions to provide the rubber associations not just weighing scales but SSF facilities for RSS or crepe production. “Of course, this can only be done with the help of our partner agencies together with the local government units and our representatives in Congress,” Bazan said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
“We have already the concept for this – where the needed eguipment and fundings would come from, including working capital for the small rubber coops and we hope we could put this to reality by next year,” he said.
Roger Lalag, president of the Federation of Rubber Farmers Association of Tampilisan, thanked the government for the weighing scales. “The weighing scales already constitute as answered prayer in resolving the issue of underweighing, a problem that’s been blamed for the continuing marginalization of our members,” he said.
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