Saturday, September 06, 2008 MisOr farmers on spotlight at Capitol expo
VAST tracts of agricultural and idle lands in Misamis Oriental can still be transformed into profitable vegetable production areas, according to the Northern Mindanao Vegetable Producers' Association (NorminVeggies).
This, despite the steady influx of manufacturing and industrial locators and the expansion of commercial ventures and business activities along the coastlines of Macajalar and Gingoog bays.
Areas devoted to agriculture, particularly on farming, still account for some 186,534 hectares - mostly in relatively high elevations - with the predominantly agricultural and landlocked town of Claveria getting the biggest chunk of 82,999 hectares.
Claveria and the municipalities of Balingasag, Salay, Sugbongcogon and Opol, and Gingoog City, are among the 36 potential sites for vegetable production in Mindanao, which were identified by NorminVeggies in its book, The Vegetable Production Areas in Mindanao that was published last year (2007).
The book mentioned of the high-value vegetables that are being produced and these include Claveria's broccoli, carrots and radish, Balingasag's cucumber and bunchy onions, Salay's ginger and Gingoog's lettuce while Sugbongcogon farmers also grow carrots, broccoli, lettuce and sweet bell peppers.
Production areas
In Claveria, the leading vegetable producing barangays include Lanise, Tamboboan, Madaguing, Parmbugas, Malagana, Pelaez, Sta. Cruz, Luna and Poblacion, all of these situated some 350 to 2,500 meters above sea level.
Gingoog, on the other hand, has barangays San Luis, Bal-ason and Lunotan where residents are engaged in vegetable growing. Lunotan, which is 950 meters above sea level, and located about 18 kilometers from the city proper, is the main producer of lettuce.
Specific vegetable-producing barangays in Sugbongcogon are Minbuahan, Ampianga, Kidampas and Kaulayanan while Salay has barangays Matampa, Bunal and Saray.
In Balingasag, vegetable farmers are found in barangays Mandangoa, Talusan, Napaliran, Waterfall, and Isidro - all of them are found at the foot of Mount Balatukan, the highest elevation of which is estimated at 2,328 meters above sea level.
Aside from high-value crops, they also plant baguio beans, Chinese cabbage, sweet peas, tomatoes, cabbage, ampalaya, eggplant, okra and chayote in commercial scale.
NorminVeggies observed that the vegetables that are harvested in Misamis Oriental often find their way, through traders and farmers association and cooperatives, to public markets and groceries in Cagayan de Oro, Butuan, Surigao and even Cebu.
'Kurambos' approach
Last Monday, during the opening of the five-day 1st Mindanao Vegetable Expo, which incidentally was also the start of the Tourism Week celebration and the quarterly Salo-Tabo agro-industrial fair at the provincial capitol ground, NorminVeggies president Marcelino Remotigue lauded Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno for the latter's continuing support to agricultural programs and projects in the province.
Mr. Remotigue cited Governor Moreno's linkages with government agencies, particularly the Department of Agriculture, in the ongoing construction of farm-to-market roads, irrigation projects, and other forms of assistance to farmers that could boost technology transfer, increase in production, and systematic marketing of produce.
NorminVeggies' observation was also shared by Regional Director Lealyn Ramos in her talk during the occasion, adding that Governor Moreno was quite effective in "pulling and pooling" of resources which the governor describes, in the local dialect, as "kurambos".
Director Ramos went on by urging NorminVeggies to continually conduct researches on farm technologies, including post-harvest concerns and marketing, and have these disseminated to vegetable farmers.
In his message, Governor Moreno said the Provincial Government is fortunate because of the presence of agencies and organizations that are supportive to its development programs and projects.
"We will do what we can in the Provincial Government. But we cannot fully realize the aspirations of our people, the farmers in particular, without you," said the Provincial Governor.
Aside from Department of Agriculture-Northern Mindanao Director Ramos, Regional Director Catalino Chan III of the Department of Tourism (DOT), and Regional Director Petrona Bergado of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Region 10 also graced the regular Monday's flag-raising ceremony at the Provincial Capitol.
The opening program of the 1st Mindanao Vegetable Expo was highlighted by the ceremonial ribbon-cutting and then, the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between NorminVeggies and Philam Foundation, with Governor Moreno and Director Ramos as principal witnesses.
Philam Foundation Executive Director Maximillan Ventura, who signed the MOA and subsequently turned over a P600,000 cheque to NorminVegggies, through its president, said the amount is part of the P1.2 million loan that they are committed to release, in support of the farmers in Misamis Oriental and the rest of Northern Mindanao.
Mr. Ventura said the Philam Foundation recognizes the initiatives of Governor Moreno in creating conducive climate for vegetable industry stakeholders in the province as well as the continuing assistance that the Department of Agriculture regional office 10 has been extending.
Also witnessing the MOA signing was Mr. Celso Alejo Enriquez of the Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) project, a USAID-assisted organization tasked to extend technical assistance to farmer beneficiaries. (Press release)
