THE Cassava Livelihood Program (CLP) undertaken by the Barangay Affairs Office (BAO) is one big leap attained by Gov. Aurora Cerilles during her tenure.
Included in Cerilles 7-Point Agenda, cassava farming has become synonymous with the names of the Cerilleses after Rep. Antonio Cerilles pioneered the establishment of a bio-organic fertilizer plant located at the Provincial Government Complex with a P8-million investment.
To match the effort, Cerilles introduced his “gahong-gahong” method, which breaks away with the traditional planting and utilize only bio-organic fertilizer.
With the progressive marketing tie-up with San Miguel Corporation, Zamboanga del Sur is now recognized as one of the leading producers of cassava chips in the country, where at one time the combined income derived from cassava chips totaled P89 million.
In 2008, for example, some 5,319.78 hectares were planted with cassava by 40,714 farmers producing a total of 3,502,325 kilos of cassava chips and raking P24.5 million in earnings, Exec. Asst. Tyronne Singgo reported.
During the first six months of 2009, the province already produced 5,705,850 kilos of cassava, Singgo added.
As of July, this year, data from the Provincial Agriculture Office stated that many people have taken advantage of the Provincial Government’s agricultural enhancement through sustainable livelihood program where 12,618 cassava planters were listed in the first district and another 11,821 for the second district.
BAO Chief Allan Cabatingan said that many farmers have responded positively to the experimental planting method introduced by Cerilles and with BAO’s provision of agri-technical assistance and farm inputs to small-scale upland farmer-growers.
REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA
Included in Cerilles 7-Point Agenda, cassava farming has become synonymous with the names of the Cerilleses after Rep. Antonio Cerilles pioneered the establishment of a bio-organic fertilizer plant located at the Provincial Government Complex with a P8-million investment.
To match the effort, Cerilles introduced his “gahong-gahong” method, which breaks away with the traditional planting and utilize only bio-organic fertilizer.
With the progressive marketing tie-up with San Miguel Corporation, Zamboanga del Sur is now recognized as one of the leading producers of cassava chips in the country, where at one time the combined income derived from cassava chips totaled P89 million.
In 2008, for example, some 5,319.78 hectares were planted with cassava by 40,714 farmers producing a total of 3,502,325 kilos of cassava chips and raking P24.5 million in earnings, Exec. Asst. Tyronne Singgo reported.
During the first six months of 2009, the province already produced 5,705,850 kilos of cassava, Singgo added.
As of July, this year, data from the Provincial Agriculture Office stated that many people have taken advantage of the Provincial Government’s agricultural enhancement through sustainable livelihood program where 12,618 cassava planters were listed in the first district and another 11,821 for the second district.
BAO Chief Allan Cabatingan said that many farmers have responded positively to the experimental planting method introduced by Cerilles and with BAO’s provision of agri-technical assistance and farm inputs to small-scale upland farmer-growers.
REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA