CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro (PIA) — Calapan City Mayor Malou F. Morillo met recently with the city’s 21 agricultural technicians to further improve innovation programs of the agriculture sector.
In the meeting, Mayor Morillo emphasized the need to scale up rice seeds production; urban gardening project; high value crop production; rainwater catchment for vegetable growers; drip irrigation system; integrated focused food production including livestock and poultry projects in coordination with the Bureau of Animal Industry; putting up Agricultural Demo Center; establishment of ready to transplant seedling nurseries; FITS Center; Bio-Control Facility; Cream Dory culture; among others.
Morillo said it is expected to have the continuous urbanization of Calapan City and the commercial growth is always associated with it. Though the city would have huge buildings and malls, agriculture still remains the source of income of most Calapeños, said Morillo.
Rice fields and people in the community do the cleaning of the environment in Brgy. Malad, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro. (Photo credit: Imee Soriano Caringal/City Agricultural Services Department)
Calapan City consists of 37 agricultural barangays and 18 urban barangays. The agricultural lands cover approximately 10,250 hectares of which 4,160 registered farmers have been tilling the lands.
In the rice seeds production program, it includes giving incentives and subsidies for seeds and fertilizers intended to farmers and also other agricultural projects like facilities, farm-to-market roads and proper irrigation system.
Likewise, the strengthening of urban gardening that aims to teach the people to plant vegetables in their community is also considered under the program. The local government would provide free seedlings with quality seed crops to identified beneficiaries.
Urban gardening in Brgy. Lumangbayan, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro. (Photo credit: Norma C. Domingo/CASD)
The local government will also find out idle lands possible to be cultivated to further expand the program. Morillo said they would see to it that not only urban barangays could make the program a priority, but also vacant lots within the premises of public schools would also be a target for the creation of a community vegetable garden.
On the aspect of high value crop production, Agriculture Technician Rene Datinguinoo emphasized the planning of building a Community Nursery and Banana Processing Center in the city. This includes additional livelihood opportunities for Calapeños since training for the production of mushrooms could be made possible.
To stimulate livestock and poultry projects, the local government is set to coordinate with the Bureau of Animal Industry for knowledge and training.
With the proper implementation of the projects, Morillo said all of these endeavors of the city government would contribute to help reduce poverty, raise income and improve food security of the people. (LTC/PIA MIMAROPA)
Photo above credit to: City Information Office
