Upang mapabilang sa “high priority” ng Department of Agriculture IV-CALABARZON (DA-4A) ang panukalang Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) mula sa mga Local Government Units (LGUs) ay kinakailangang may minimum itong dalawang kilometrong distansya mula sa commodity area, ito ay nagsisilbing tanging daan papunta sa commodity area at bagsakan ng mga isda, pinag-uugnay ang daan papuntang pamilihan at processing area, at may bahaging malupa at sementado.

Ito ang hinayag ni Engr. Cesandriel Lucero, DA-4A Regional Farm-to-Market Network Plan (FMRNP) Focal Person noong ika-25 ng Agosto sa nagdaang Consultation Meeting on Formulation of FMRNP na dinaluhan ng mga LGUs sa CALABARZON.

Susuriin ng DA-4A Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Engineering Division (RAED) ang mga datos tungkol sa mga kalsadang nais gawing FMR at tutukuyin kung ito ay pasok sa high priority criteria ng Regional FNRNP.

Ang lahat ng datos tungkol sa kalsadang nais gawing FMR ay dapat isusumite ng proponent (maaaring municipal/city at/o provincial local government unit) sa online platform na Geographic Information System for Agriculture, Fisheries, Machineries and Infrastructure (GEOAGRI). Ito ang susuriin ng DA-4A RAED, katuwang ang Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Engineering, upang malaman kung ang isang kalsada ay maituturing na high priority.

Nasimulan na ng DA-4A RAED ang pagkuha ng mga detalye kaugnay sa mga kalsadang nais gawing FMR noong Nobyembre ng nakaraang taon, at inaasahang matatapos ito sa katapusan ng Setyembre.

Ang pagkuha ng mga datos tungkol sa mga kalsadang nais gawing FMR ay ang unang hakbang sa pag-oorganisa ng Regional FMRNP.

Layunin ng Regional FMRNP na maging organisado ang listahan ng mga FMR at upang mabantayan ang pag-usad sa pagpapatayo nito. # # # (Reina Beatriz P. Peralta, DA-RFO IVA, RAFIS)

DA programs uphold indigenous people’s inclusivity

A community of Indigenous People (IP) in Sitio Malihao, Barangay Bonbon, Butuan City, is now undertaking food and income-generating ventures through organic farming technologies.

The Department of Agriculture (DA)-Caraga through its Banner Programs is conducting a Training on Crops and Livestock Production on September 2-3.

Around 20 Manobo-Higaonon members of Mt. Mayapay Tribal Council participated in the training designed to promote sustainable farming and create livelihood opportunities while conserving the indigenous ecosystem and promoting biodiversity.

Topics on upland rice, OPV white corn, and vegetable and poultry production are part of the technologies shared.  Integrated and diversified organic farming systems and Natural Farming Technology systems are also included.

“Educating the IPs with the appropriate technologies is a tool to encourage them to maximize the use of the ancestral agricultural lands and turn it into productive, profitable, self-sustained, and developed resilient agricultural enterprises,” said Regional Executive Director Abel James I. Monteagudo.

 Thus, innovations, skills, and appropriate agricultural technologies are significant to uphold one of the important allies of the government to achieve food security and sufficiency.

Aside from the training, DA-Caraga provided the Tribal Council with rice-certified seeds, OPV white corn seeds, vegetable seeds, and garden tools.

Director Monteagudo said that the DA-Caraga continues to build its partnership with the IP sector through regular and special programs like the Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng KababayangKatutubo (4Ks) Program and Special Areas for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program.

He also encouraged the group to be registered as a farmers’ organization to receive more interventions from the government.

“Inclusivity is something that the Department promotes and ensures to implement by providing equal opportunities for everybody regardless of age, gender, religion or political belief, and ethnicity,” said Director Monteagudo. # # # (DA-RFO XIII, RAFIS)

Eighty-five young agripreneurs in Region 12, receive grant from DA-12

Aspiring young agripreneurs from Region 12 are now ready to kickstart their proposed business ventures with profitability potential in Department of Agriculture’s Young Farmers Challenge: Kabataang Agribiz Competitive Grant Assistance Program.

On August 20, the DA 12 headed by Regional Executive Director Arlan Mangelen awarded to each participants the cheques worth PhP50,000 as their capital for the planned innovative agri-based micro-enterprises.

A total of 85 individuals from the region will be joining the said competition.

“You will be our torch bearers in the coming days of food production… Kayo ang magtra-transform ng ating agri-fishery sector sa ating rehiyon,” the director said.

These young agripreneurs will seek to successfully implement their business models to be selected as well to compete in the national level with bigger amount for capital set to be given by DA.

Josue Carmen Jr., one of the grantees from South Cotabato, noted that he grabbed the chance to propose for this program because of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

“I was able to realize that there is money in agriculture, more importantly that right now food security is vital to every person,” Carmen said.

The young farmer from Surallah, whose proposal is entitled Carolina Reaper’s (World’s Hottest Pepper) Industrial Scale Production and Processing, also added that with this government support, the youth sector, including young professionals, will see agriculture as an additional income generating opportunity.

The DA developed this program through the guidance of Agriculture Secretary William Dar with the support of Senator Imee Marcos.

Secretary Dar, through this program, hoped that the Filipino youth’s innovation and aggressive drive will further make agriculture sustainable.

In the Philippines, the DA said the majority of the youth are no longer interested in agriculture. The average age of farmers as of 2018 is 57 years old.

The number of farm workers has also declined at around 1.5% per year since 2007. Those employed in agriculture likewise declined to 9.8 million in 2020 from 11.84 million in 2015.

This program is a competitive financial grant assistance program for the youth who will engage in agri-fishery based enterprises. 

The Program will be open to all interested youth with proposed business ventures with profitability potential. The grants shall serve as start-up capital for the planned innovative agri-based micro-enterprise operated by an individual youth or as joint venture between two or more individual youth.

More than a hundred of young agripreneurs submitted their business model canvas to their provincial agriculture offices, and judges from various sectors assessed their proposals.

From more than a hundred, the number was trimmed down to 85 proposals, wherein they were declared as provincial winners of the four provinces in the region. # # # (CULAguillon / DA-RFO XII, RAFIS)