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InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) is investing an additional P20 million in Batanes to tap its rich agri-fishery resources and hardworking farmers and fishers, and transform it into a food-sufficient island-province.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala, who visited the country’s northernmost province for the first time on June 4-6, said the amount is on top of the P71 million which the DA, through the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), has earmarked to construct a rain-fed reservoir and irrigation dam in Itbayat island, aimed at making Batanes rice self-sufficient by 2014.
Alcala graced a town hall meeting in Basco attended by about 300 farmers, fishers and local officials led by Batanes Governor Gov. Vicente Gato and Rep. Henedina Abad.
"We need to find solutions to your problems. With the help of your leaders, I am sure we can maximize and preserve our production areas and make Batanes self-sufficient in food. Please give us reasons to come back,” he said.
Of the P20-million worth of projects, P6 million was earmarked for the construction of a seed storage and integrated plant and animal laboratory service building in the capital town of Basco, in Vatan island. The facility will benefit 1,400 farmers engaged in high value crop and livestock production.
The facility, funded under the DA’s High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP), will feature a cold storage facility to store indigenous seeds and planting materials, including turmeric, garlic, onions, rootcrops, and fruits; a freezer to store semen for artificial insemination services; and a warehouse for palay and crop seeds, and farm inputs like bio-organic fertilizers.
The DA through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will also put up a P5-million agri-fisheries center and regional office in Basco, near the provincial capitol.
Alcala also committed to provide an additional mechanical dryer at the warehouse of the DA’s National Food Authority, and a rice mill for Itbayat. The two facilities are worth roughly P2 million.
During a farmers’ and fishers’ forum at the Itbayat Central School, Alcala also distributed some P2 million worth of farm and fishery projects and inputs to benefit hundreds of farmers and fishers in five barangays. These include small scale irrigation systems, a windmill-operated pump, greenhouses, fishing nets, vegetable seeds, and livelihood assistance.
He also committed to distribute to qualified farmers 70 heads of draft carabaos with farm implements, and one sheep module (1 buck and 9 ewes). The livestock animals are worth about P1 million.
The DA-BFAR will also implement a “Kabuhayan sa Karagatan” program, worth about P1 million, that includes the establishment of crab hatcheries, processing enterprise for flying fish and seaweeds, and conduct training on how to catch tuna.
In Sabtang island, Alcala distributed about P750,000 worth of farm and fishery implements, vegetable seeds, greenhouses, drip irrigation equipment, a liquid quick freezer, fish nets, vacuum packers, smokehouses, plastic sealers, and bottles for sardine-making.
He also committed to provide P1 million for a "kababaihan" livelihood project in Raele, Itbayat, to train women in the production and processing of breadfruits, guavas, cashew nuts, onions, garlic, coffee, and other indigenous crops.
The DA will also encourage and teach Batanes farmers to produce early-maturing crops like mongo, sesame and soybeans.
He said the province is a good source of organic products. Hence, the DA will assist farmers and fishers to produce and export to local and international markets. “We will make Batanes a leading organic producer in the country,” he said.
To encourage Batanes youth to engage in farming and fishing enterprises, Alcala committed to sponsor 10 students as scholars to enroll in agriculture and fishery college courses.
Accompanying Alcala in Batanes were DA Region 2 director Lucrecio Alviar Jr., DA-BFAR Region 2 director Jovita Ayson, DA national rice program coordinator Dante Delima, DA-AMAS director Leandro Gazmin, NIA Administrator Antonio Nangel, DA-National Agribusiness Corp. executive vice president Honesto Baniqued, DA-Philippine Fisheries Development Authority general manager Rodolfo Paz, DA-NIA Region 2 manager Vicente Galvez, and BFAR-MCS division chief Alma Dickson.
