MODERNIZING the country’s agriculture like the cultivation of land, production of crops and raising of livestocks was achieved well by the Arroyo administration.
And such similar effort to sustain the growth and development of the rice sector in Zamboanga del Sur was likewise attained by the Department of Agriculture (DA), said regional executive director Oscar Parawan.
The DA, in collaboration with the so-called Local Government Units-Agriculture Extension Workers (LGU-AEWS) was able to implement the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) Rice Program in the province, Parawan disclosed in a conference recently held in Pagadian City.
Considering that rice is the staple food of the Filipinos, the country’s rice sufficiency was accomplished and the rice program was able to transform farmers into efficient producers and highly competitive entrepreneurs, confirms Winnie Jose, regional rice coordinator.
The conference called in by DA at the Camila Hotel was for their year-end evaluation and review of performance, which was attended by representatives of the various GMA Banner Programs—GMA Rice, Corn, Live Stocks, GMA High Value Crops and LGU-AEWS in the province.
Based on data provided by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, Zamboanga del Sur attained a favorable assessment in food sufficiency for this year with a 4.95 percent increase in palay yield compared to last year’s.
This, according Jose, is attributed also to the aggressive support given by the Provincial Government under Gov. Aurora Cerilles who encouraged farmers to continue planting the ordinary or in-breed variety of rice to boost local rice production.
Jose added that for 2010, they are anticipating good prospects in rice production since Zamboanga del Sur has been known as the rice granary of Zamboanga Peninsula.
More so, in the first district of Zambosur lay the Salug Valley area where the towns of Mahayag, Molave, Tambulig and Labangan are considered the rich, fertile lands devoted to rice production.
Other areas in Zambosur are likewise utilized for corn production since the climate is very conducive for growing the said crop.
Meanwhile, the GMA-Rice Program also distributed inorganic fertilizers and other soil ameliorants in support to rice production, endorsed defined farming technologies and distribution of soil ameliorants, soil inoculants and chemicals, which respectively restored and rehabilitated existing irrigated areas.
REPORT BY JONG CADION