ILOILO – As climate and topography in Leon, Iloilo are advantageous to growing crops, vegetables, and raising livestock and poultry, the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Western Visayas and the Municipal Agriculture Office equipped upland farmers on the different programs they should avail themselves to boost their production.
At least 300 farmers from the barangays of Bobon, Bulwang, and Camandag participated in the agricultural information caravan held on April 19 in Barangay Camandag’s multipurpose gym.
Municipal agriculturist Sencia Clarito gave updates on the programs and services of the DA being mainstreamed and implemented on the ground. She urged farmers to maximize the interventions and support they are availing from the LGU and the agri department.
These agricultural interventions, she added, are important to usher significant growth in agricultural productivity and profitability of farmers in Leon town, considered the “vegetable basket” of Iloilo.
Meanwhile, DA regional information officer James Earl Ogatis explained the four pillars of the OneDA Reform Agenda which all work in unison to promote the positive transformation of Philippine agriculture.
OneDA Reform Agenda, a brainchild of Secretary William Dar, champions consolidation, modernization, industrialization, and professionalization approaches in sustaining the gains in the farming sector.
He encouraged farmer-participants to strengthen their associations so they could conveniently access the wide range of projects from the government.
“Kun nakaplastar na ang polisiya sang inyo asosasyon, mas magasalig ang gobyerno nga magta-u sang nanari-sari nga mga proyekto para mag-umwad pa guid ang inyo pagpanguma,” said Ogatis.
He also told famers to employ clustering and consolidation of their farm products so DA could provide them direct link to institutional buyers for favorable market prices.
Ogatis enumerated the easy access credit facilities in which the individual farmers or associations could avail from the DA Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) to finance their agricultural enterprises, be it on production, processing, trading, or purchase of farm machinery and equipment.
Other than that, DA Western Visayas info officers and LGU staff discussed the services and projects of the organic agriculture and livestock programs as well as strategies in livestock and poultry diseases management.
The DA High Value Crops Development Program had provided the cluster barangays with 10 pieces of plastic drums, plastic crates, saddle and hoe, rake, spade, and sprinklers. DA had also distributed production guide materials and assorted vegetable seeds to farmer-participants of the info drive. (DA-6/PN)
