Kauswagan Norte rolls out ‘organic mobile palengke’

THE local government unit (LGU) in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, through its Municipal Agriculture Office, launched the “organic mobile palengke” under its Arms to Farms Program in response to restrictions on citizen movement under the enhanced community quarantine measures in the province.

The program aims to make it easier for families to get nutritious food in light of the ongoing crisis amid local transmission of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country.

“The mobile palengke is the LGU’s response to the needs of the people in this time of public health emergency. We are doing this so that people won’t experience much difficulty in accessing their needs during this difficult time,” said Municipal Agriculturist Adelino Rico.

Town mayor Rommel Arnado has earlier challenged the LGU officials and employees to execute a plan to continuously provide support to affected communities in light of the health crisis and, at the same time, strengthen the food sufficiency efforts of the local government.

Several years back, Arnado ordered the establishment of communal organic farms and backyard gardens. Through a local ordinance passed by the Sangguniang Bayan, each family is required to have their own household vegetable garden.

Now, the vegetables and fruits in the mobile market are provided by local organic farms in the municipality managed by the LGU and some private individuals.

Meanwhile, Arnado instructed barangay captains to include nutritious vegetable produce in the food distribution organized by the local government.

“Our goal is to provide our people with a nutritious alternative in these trying times. Where processed foods are usually provided to families during disasters and calamities, we want to provide a better alternative to keep our people healthy, said Arnado.

He further said that this is the time to encourage people to eat healthy to boost their immune system.

“In the middle of this medical crisis, we need our people to stay stronger and healthier,” he added. (PIA ICIC)

DA, URC to scale up potato farming industry in Bukidnon

STRENGTHENED partnership of Universal Robina Corporation (URC) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) is now in the works to accelerate the growth of some potato farming communities in Bukidnon.

The Miarayon Highland Farmers Association (MHFA) of Talakag, Bukidnon and the Imbayao Community-based Participatory Research (CPAR) of Malaybalay City, Bukidnon received the 27-ton granola variety of potato seeds, in the towns of Miarayon in Talakag and Imbayao, Malaybalay City of Bukidnon, respectively.

DA – Regional Field Office 10 OIC-Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado and DA-Bureau of Plant Industry-Plant Quarantine Services (DA-BPI-PQS) Regional Manager Region 10 Manuel A. Baradas with BPI-PQS quarantine officers and the local government representatives led the delivery and turnover of potato seeds to the farmer-beneficiaries.

Collado emphasized that through the Sustainable Potato Development Program, potato farmers’ annual yield will increase and scale up their productivity output.

Each farmer-association received 13.5 tons of potato seeds.

Each mesh bag weighs 25 kilograms of potato seeds from Charlottetown, Canada which will be planted for seed and commercial production in said areas in the province.

Ryan Dano, president of MHFA said, “We cannot afford to fail the government’s project that will benefit more farmers in Region 10.”

In 2019, for the first batch of URC’s farm inputs, MHFA recorded the highest yield of 3.5 kilograms of tubers in a hill or plant, with a yield of 50 tons in a hectare, among other beneficiaries of the company in the country. (DA10)

Photo release:
DA-RFO 10 OIC-Regional Director Carlene C. Collado and DA-Bureau of Plant Industry-Plant Quarantine Services (DA-BPI-PQS) Regional Manager in Region 10 Manuel A. Baradas with the LGU representatives lead the delivery and turnover of potato seeds to the farmer-beneficiaries. (DA 10)