ILOILO City – Western Visayas has sufficient stocks of rice. Its problem is its supply of vegetables. “Eighty percent of our vegetable supply is sourced from other regions like the Cordilleras,” said Regional Executive Director Remelyn Recoter of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
DA Region 6 had identified areas that have potentials of becoming “vegetable bowls”, said Recoter. These were the municipalities of Leon and Alimodian in Iloilo province and San Remigio and Valderrama area in Antique.
“We are hoping nga next year ma-ensure naton na (vegetable supply),” said Recoter.
As to rice, said Recoter, all provinces in Western Visayas have more than enough supply except for Negros Occidental which had a rice sufficiency level of only 86 percent.
“We are hoping nga in the next two to three years maka-cope ang Negros because si Gov. (Alfredo) Marañon (Jr.) nagatinguha man nga mangin rice sufficient,” said Recoter.
DA-6 placed Western Visayas’ rice sufficiency level at “124 percent”, with the following levels per province:
* Aklan – 107 percent
* Antique – 173 percent
* Capiz – 137 percent
* Guimaras – 107 percent
* Iloilo – 176 percent
Regarding the supply of meat and poultry, Recoter said, Region 6 was 148 percent and 89.9 percent sufficient, respectively.
To further ensure food sufficiency in the region, DA-6 would be holding a two-day simultaneous “pre-food security workshop” in the six provinces from Sept. 26 to 27.
DA would be teaching local chief executives, provincial and municipal agriculturists, planning and development officers and agri-fishery personnel how to prepare their respective local food security plans.
Among other workshop activities, participants would be asked to identify the prime commodities in their areas and determine which of these are sufficient and lacking.
“If indi pa sila sufficient, ano ang mga possible interventions nga within the next few years ma-attain nila ang food security,” said Recoter.
Citing the Local Government Code and Agri-Fisheries Modernization Act, Recoter said, “Daku ang role sang aton mga local chief executives to ensure food security sa ila area.”
The National Nutrition Council (NNC) had warned that “food insecurity” could result to “nutrition insecurity.”
“For every increase in the price of rice, there is a corresponding decrease in the food consumption of households. We do not want that to happen,” said NNC regional nutrition program coordinator Nona Tad-y.
Backyard gardening of fruits and vegetables can help ensure food production and proper nutrition, Tad-y stressed.
Those who lack space may try vertical gardening, she added.
A vertical garden is a garden that grows upward (vertically) using a trellis or other support system, rather than on the ground (horizontally).
“There is always a season in a year nga ginakulang sang pagkaon ang aton pamilya. Pero indi ini rason para magutom kita because we have other alternatives,” said Tad-y./PN
