MANILA - Four agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay, engaged in rubber tree farming, received bags and sacks of fertilizers and herbicides, amounting to PHP2.8 million to boost their production. The ARBOs include Timbabauan Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organization (TIMARBENCO) in Timbabauan, Tungawan; Silingan Rubber Farmers Association (SIRFA) in Silingan, R.T Lim; Tambanan Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organization (TARBENCO) in Tambanan, Naga and Goodyear Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative (GARBEMCO) in Goodyear, Kabasalan. In a statement on Thursday, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Mohammad Dassan Adju said the fertilizers and herbicides would spur rubber production in the province. "The DAR is not just about giving lands to landless farmers, we also provide support services to uplift the economic lives of our agrarian reform beneficiaries," he said. Adju added that the fertilizers and herbicides they receive would be a big help to increase the quantity and quality of their products. The farm inputs, provided under Project ConVERGE (Convergence on Value Chain Enhancement for Rural Growth and Empowerment), were directly delivered to the ARBO's respective warehouses under the supervision of DAR provincial office personnel. Project ConVERGE is funded under the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and aims to boost the rural economy and reduce poverty in rural areas by empowering agribusiness enterprises and catalyzing market opportunities. (PR) }