Abraham Akilit, director of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in the Cordillera, told provincial food security planners that watershed protection should be integrated in the strategies for food security.
Akilit said watershed management should not be left out in the formulation of food security plans as this plays a major role in attaining and sustaining food sufficiency. Watersheds, he said, are the lifeblood of irrigation, one of the major aspects of food security.
"We cannot ensure food security if there is no irrigation," Akilit told provincial planners composed of agriculturists, veterinarians and other executives who recently converged to draft food security plans for their respective provinces.
NIA-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) has initiated a watershed development program, which includes reforestation and agro-forestry projects, as part of the effort to ensure the availability of water to irrigate agriculture lands.
Irrigation development is included as one of the government's programs in the implementation of food security programs.
NIA-CAR is currently servicing about 65,000 hectares of farmlands in the region.
The provincial security-planning workshop held at the Agricultural Training Institute at the Benguet State University called for the collaboration of local government units (LGUs), the academe and the Department of Agriculture (DA) in ensuring food security.
The plans aim to pool the resources of the LGUs, the DA, and the state universities and colleges in addressing the concerns on food and to ensure that there will be enough supply to feed the people in the region.
Among the plans included, aside from increasing the production of agricultural crops, livestock and fisheries, includes the improvement of post-harvest facilities, establishment of food processing centers, analysis and improvement of soil fertility and establishment of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for agriculture.
The government has stepped up its campaign on food security amid the global food and energy crisis.
