Sulong Kasaganaan eyes oil palm for Sarangani

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (September 2, 2014) – Sarangani Gov. Steve Chiongbian Solon leads the Oil Palm Investment and Financing Forum for Sarangani Province on Thursday, August 28, at Phela Grande Hotel, with Development Bank of the Philippines senior manager Elaine Pagkalungan (extreme left), Palm Oil grower and Philippine Palm Oil Development Council, Inc. director Erwin Garcia (2nd from left), and Land Bank of the Philippines Lending Center head Dante Abad (extreme right). Gov. Solon with Board Member Arman Guili pledged that the provincial government can help farmers in giving, among others, technical support like soil sampling to determine crop suitability under Sulong Kasaganaan, while DBP and LBP offer loans. Kenram Industrial and Development Inc., a palm oil company, already committed to provide a palm oil mill to Sarangani if the province can produce 3000 to 5000 hectares of productive land for oil palm. Oil palm is a perennial crop that has a sure market. (Kim Windell V. Tiblani/PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR'S OFFICE)