THE top official of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Western Visayas has lauded farmers and stakeholders as the region posted the highest annual growth in agriculture output for 2020.
DA-Western Visayas Regional Director Remelyn Recoter, in her Facebook post, said the region's agricultural production posted a growth rate of 4.7 percent in 2020 based on the data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Recoter said the regional line agency would like to express its sincerest appreciation to all the stakeholders in the region especially the farmers, fishers and animal raisers.
"They gave their best efforts in spite of the threat of the ongoing pandemic," she said, adding that "they continued to cultivate their farms, raise animals, and culture and caught fishes to contribute to ensuring food security in the region and the country as a whole."
For crop production alone, the PSA reported that Western Visayas grew the biggest at 10.2 percent.
Recoter said the local government units, especially their frontliners, the Agricultural Extension Workers from the provincial, city and municipal agriculturist and veterinary offices should also be recognized.
She said these stakeholders have given their relentless efforts in reaching out to the clientele especially in the registration to the Registry System for Basic Sector in Agriculture and distribution of seeds and fertilizers funded under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund and Rice Resiliency Projects through Bayanihan 1 and 2.
"We hope that 2021 will still be favorable to our region," she said, adding "mabuhay ang aton mga mangunguma, mangingisda kag manugsagod sang kasapatan."