SAN JOSE, Occidental Mindoro (PIA) — The Department of Agriculture (DA) MIMAROPA Region features its accomplishments in the region during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas (KBP) held on Tuesday, June 18, held at Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.
DA MIMAROPA Regional Executive Director Christopher Bañas reported that the agriculture industry increased to 6.2 percent, and is the third contributor in the economic growth in MIMAROPA since the pandemic eased.
One of the efforts of the department is providing hybrid seeds and new machinery to achieve food security and provide nutritious food for the masses.
“Sinusulong natin ang paggamit ng mga napapanahon at mga makabagong teknolohiya sa paggamit ng mga high yield variety [na mga binhi] at paggamit ng mga makinarya sa kagamitan upang mas tumaas pa po ang produksyon ng mga pangunahing produktong agrikultural, maging matatag sa mga kalamidad [ang tanim ng mga] magsasaka, at mapabilis at mapaganda ang produksyon,” Bañas said.
(We are advocating for the use of timely and innovative technology through using high yield variety seeds and using machinery to increase the production of our basic agricultural products, so that farmers’ crops will be more resilient to calamities, and to speed up and improve the production.)
He added that rice farmers in Mindoro and Palawan reported a 1.2 metric tons (MT) increase per hectare while corn farmers in the region observed 4.7 MT per hectare growth in harvest in 2023 using high yield varieties provided by the DA.
Additionally, the production of high value crops in the region exhibited a significant increase, particularly with onion and calamansi.
DA MIMAROPA reported a 50,000 MT of production of onion in the region for the 3rd quarter of 2023, which translates to 879 percent sufficiency level, while calamansi is at 34,000 MT at 682 percent.
The region’s mechanization level also increased to 2.2 horsepower per hectare citing, “Ibig sabihin po nito, tumaas na ang kakayahan na makapagprodyus ang ating mga magsasaka ng mas may dekalidad na produkto sa maikling panahon dahil may access na sila sa makinaryang pansaka at sa modernong pasilidad,” Bañas explained.
(This means that the capacity of our farmers to produce quality products in a shorter time has increased because they have access to farm machinery and modern facilities.)
A total of 537 different machineries, such as tractors, corn mills, composers, harvesters, and shredders, and 211 farm production and postharvest facilities were awarded to farmers associations, communities, schools, and barangays in the region. Additionally, 96 farm-to-market roads have been completed.
The DA helped link agricultural producers and the consumers through marketing development services, such as Kadiwa stores, helping farmers and fisherfolks sell their produce and enabling affordable food for the masses by cutting out middlemen. DA MIMAROPA recorded 129,883 MT of commodities, garnering a total of P8.3 million sales in 2023.
Bañas attributed these accomplishments to the farmers and fisherfolk.
“Masasabi po natin na ang tagumpay po ng magsasaka at ng mangingisda ay susi po sa tagumpay ng bawat isa sa ating at sa Bagong Pilipinas,” he said.
(We can say that the success of our farmers and fisherfolk is the key to everyone’s success and to the New Philippines.)
The Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas is a nationwide, simultaneous weekly forum organized by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) and implemented by the Philippine Information Agency. The program is aired on multi-media platforms every Tuesday at 9 A.M.
The platform aims to amplify the policies, activities, and accomplishments of each featured department, consistent with the mandate of the administration’s Bagong Pilipinas (BP) governance and leadership agenda. (DSG/PIA MIMAROPA-Occidental Mindoro)
PHOTO ABOVE: Four Rice Combine Harvester and Seven Walk-behind Transplanter were awarded by the DA-PhilMech to farmers associations and cooperatives in southern Occidental Mindoro in 2023 under RCEF Mechanization Program. (Photo courtesy of PIO Occidental Mindoro)
