THE Provincial Agriculturist’s Office of Davao de Oro launched its Adlaiventure: Adlay Field Day and Harvest Festival on December 18, 2024, providing alternative livelihoods for the province's Indigenous People (IP).
The 0.34-hectare Adlay Seed Production Area at Davao de Oro Farm in Pasian, Monkayo, was established to offer a stable livelihood for IP members. The initiative encourages farmers, especially in geographically isolated areas, to plant Adlay as a food source and an income-generating crop.
According to a Facebook post by the provincial government on December 20, 2024, the program encourages food sufficiency by yielding substantial harvests, ensuring food security, and increasing incomes for local farmers.
The festival featured the signing of a Commercial Partnership Agreement (CPA), designed to foster collaboration and explore opportunities within the agricultural sector.
The Agriculturist’s Office also highlighted the benefits of Adlay, which is known for its potential in treating conditions like diabetes, goiter, arthritis, and pneumonia. While Adlay is more expensive than rice or corn, it is more pest-resistant, thrives in poor soil, and can tolerate low pH and waterlogging, making it a more cost-effective alternative to other crops.
IP members will learn from the success stories of various organizations, including Kinabuhi Organic Farms, Agriventures, Inc., Asosasyon sa mga Organikong Mag-uuma sa Sitio Bunglas (Asormasibo), New Leyte Agricultural Cooperative (NLAC), Panoraon Women's Integrated Livelihood Association, and the United Farmers Association of Mabini (Unifasma), who have successfully planted Adlay.
According to a study by Wen F. Weng, Adlay (Coix lacryma-jobi), a high-value crop plant related to maize, has long been used for medicinal and dietary purposes, originating in various regions of Asia and Africa. RGP
