Thursday, March 22, 2007 DA: New initiatives set to make goods affordable
THE regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Southern Mindanao said new initiatives and strategies will be implemented this year, not only to raise farm incomes, but also to make basic goods more affordable to consumers.
"We share this buoyant mood for better prospects among agriculture stakeholders in Davao Region considering the array of fresh government initiatives which are likely to bear fruit for consumers and farmers in the year ahead," said Roger Chio, DA regional executive director.
Agriculture initiatives include the construction of more post-harvest facilities for agricultural farmers to command higher prices for their produce.
Chio said the DA is assisting farmers in preserving the quality of their rice grains and reducing quantitative losses through low-cost drying systems equipped with cost-effective biomass furnaces; installation of cold chain and delivery systems for vegetables and fruits in strategic areas with direct linkages to urban markets to help growers keep their earnings, and keep prices of these basic goods within the reach of low-income Filipinos; implementation of a coconut rehabilitation program which focuses on teaching farmers to diversify and tap other uses for this versatile farm product through intercropping, livestock dispersal, production of coco coir, and coco biodiesel.
Other undertakings include the repair and rehabilitation of irrigation facilities and other rural infrastructure to further raise per-hectare harvests and keep agricultural production targets on track; and the development of new lands for agribusiness consisting of hybrid corn production, corn as intercrop of coconut lands and cassava and soybean production as part of the goal to cultivate two million hectares of additional croplands to create at least two million of the 10 million jobs targeted by 2010.
"But we have to consider that these initiatives will gradually run their course, thus our expectations for such undertakings will have a positive impact on ordinary Filipinos," Chio said. "“We also need to implement better management of supply chain so as to put more affordable food on the tables of consumers in the region."
