BECAUSE of the onslaught of tropical storms Ondoy and Pepeng which damaged crops and irrigation facilities, the need to look for alternative sources of vegetables and rice in Visayas and Mindanao was raised by DA Sec. Arthur Yap.
With many people dead, several dozens missing, and P2.5-billion loss in public property and agriculture, the government, sad to say, was utterly unprepared to handle a disaster of such magnitude.
Rebuilding is quite demanding, including how to counterbalance the loss. But DA regional executive director Oscar Parawan assured Mindanao can help by doubling-up rice and agri produce.
This was what Parawan told the 57 graduates of the 5-day refresher course on Good Agricultural Practices on vegetables, mango and rubber production at Hotel Guillermo last Oct. 23.
The graduates composed of Provincial Agriculture Office employees, agricultural technicians and growers of high value vegetables, banana and rubber.
Parawan explained that the needed supply for Luzon will be taken cared because of the aggressive implementation of the High Value Commercial Crops (HVCC) program for commercial vegetable growers region-wide.
HVCC is one of DA’s banner programs, which includes also rice, corn and livestock.
Under the HVCC banner program, commercial vegetable growers around the province will cultivate a total of 335 hectares with full support from DA through the provision of seedlings.
Parawan said this is Mindanao’s challenge in these hard times when there’s scarcity of supply of food in the market because of the environmental deluge brought about by climate change and repercussions of non-sustainable environmental practices.
And through producing high value vegetables, Parawan added that growers will be able to link the gap with the market and earn.
The refresher course on good agricultural practices for vegetable growers and other HVCC products will be conducted next in Dipolog City and Zamboanga Sibugay in the coming weeks.
As to Mindanao, it is expected to supply the country's consumption needs being the country's food basket even though the island is contributing only 23 percent to 25 percent rice production to the overall national production.
It was learned that agricultural productivity of Mindanao has also been affected by armed encounters between government forces and rebel groups, displacing an estimated 250,000 individuals in affected areas.
Mindanao agriculture so does with the rest of the country has yet to reach its optimal of production because investment on food and agriculture has been low, according to Philippine Network of Rural Development Institutes (Phil-Net RDI) Vice Chairperson Salvador Feranil.
And while Mindanao has yet to reach food sufficiency level because much of its produce are export-oriented products, he pointed out the need for more government funding to be spent for irrigation system and for fertilization to boost the country's agricultural production.
REPORT BY REMAI ALEJADO, DA-9 WITH MICHAEL MEDINA