Help Make Caraga an Organic Region --- DA RFU 13 RED Mabeza

Surigao City - “Let’s help make Caraga an organic region”.

This was an appeal from Regional Executive Director Edna M. Mabeza of the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Unit 13 during the Organic Agriculture Year-end Assessment held in Mount Bagarabon, Mabua, Surigao City last December 9-10, 2011.

Mabeza said that organic agriculture should be given utmost priority as a centerpiece project of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala to attain not just sufficiency in food but healthy as well.

She said that all stakeholders should be hand in hand in pushing for organic farming based on Private-Public-Partnership (PPP).

She stressed that local government units, the Department of Agriculture, non government organizations as well as the religious sector are equally important in pushing organic agriculture in the country.

“We have the same goals which is to uplift our living conditions, so we should have go hand in hand on this endeavor”, Mabeza said.

She also commended the effort of all staff engaged in organic program having attaining the unparalled  success despite of implementing it in the region for less that five months ago.

It was learned that as of December 2011, Regional Organic Agriculture Focal Person Rebecca Atega had received and acted upon around 105 proposals from LGUs and non government organizations.

Mabeza said that battlecry of the department of agriculture is not just to increase production but also the income of the farmers. (Aurell P. Arais/RAFID DA CARAGA)

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DA’s Secretary Alcala Pours Multi-Million Aggie Projects in Caraga

 One of the visit of Secretary Alcala in Caraga Region particularly in Surigao City, Surigao del Norte as guest of honor during the farmer’s forum.

Butuan City – Around 35 million worth of various farm inputs and implements had been turned-over by no less than Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala during his regional engagement here in Caraga Region for the whole year of 2011 to boost production in the region.

Recipients of such inputs and implements were the five provinces of Caraga Region: Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Sur and Agusan del Norte and including the cities of Cabadbaran, Surigao, Bayugan, Tandag, Bislig and Butuan.

Inputs and implements includes farm tractors, green houses, irrigation equipments, power sprayers, small ruminants, planting materials, coffee de-huller, fingerlings and fishing paraphernalia, fertilizers and more.

Also includes funding support to farm to market roads, diversion dam, potable water system, various livelihood projects under Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP), counterpart for establishment of liquid nitrogen plant and computer with accessories.  

Aside from projects already turned-over, some supports were programmed for 2012 and 2013.

The said farm inputs and implements were handed over by Secretary Alcala to the respective LGU chief executives during the farmers’ forum  last  January 20-21, 2011 in Patin-ay, Agusan del Sur;  Surigao City, Remedios T. Romualdez, Agusan del Norte and Agriculture and Fisheries Council Congress (AFC) here in Butuan City.

Alcala during his early part of leadership as agriculture secretary devoted his time to visit all regions in the country and Caraga became one of his favorite destinations to reach out farmers as well as local government officials. (Aurell P. Arais/RAFID DA CARAGA)

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Attainment of Country’s Food Sufficiency Level Top Priority of Current Food Czar

Attaining food sufficiency level in the country within his stewardship as agriculture secretary is the greatest accomplishment that Secretary Proceso J. Alcala is dreaming of.

This he revealed during the news conference with the local media in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur during his visit in Caraga Region recently.

“Ang pinakamalaki pong significant na program ay talaga pong if we reach the self sufficiency level, ito ay napakalaki pong accomplishment”, thus he said.

According to him he considered attaining food sufficiency as the biggest accomplishment not just for himself but for the whole country as well.

He said that for the long period of time, Philippines have not been sufficient in rice. 

Historically, on later part of 1970’s Philippines had been sufficient in rice during the leadership of former Secretary Arturo Tanco, Jr. through the Masagana 99 rice production program and even went into exporting rice. 

A similar program on corn also made the country self-sufficient in white corn.

In 1990 during the time of Secretary Senen Bacani, he implemented the Rice Action Program (RAP) and Corn Production Enhancement Program (CPEP) enabling the Philippines to once again export rice in 1992 and attained self-sufficiency in corn, respectively.

However, Alcala said those achievements were not sustained.     

“Kaya ngayon naging maingat tayo na if we will reach self-sufficiency ng ating palay production ito po’y hindi na aatras kundi ito’y tuloy-tuloy (That is why nowadays,if we will reach self-sufficiency of our rice production it will not detour but will head on), he said.

Alcala further said that currently they are making plans and projections on how to export excess rice after 2013.

In recognizing the potential of the province of Surigao del Sur to contribute to the attainment of sufficiency target, Secretary Alcala suggested to come up a master development plan for the whole province on agricultural sector that would focus on what commodities could be aggressively pushed.

Moreover, he said the agriculture department would push for the modernization of farm equipments not only on irrigation but for other necessary farm implements.

He also urged farmers and irrigators association to strengthen since government assistance would be coursed through them to make them more empowered.

As he stated, organized and strong farmers and irrigators association could be assisted through the provision of mechanical dryers and rice mill.

He also urged agriculture stakeholders to include idle lands and marine resources in boosting food production so as to contribute more to the attainment of food sufficiency not just on rice but also  other staple foods for the Filipinos. (AURELL P. ARAIS/RAFID DA CARAGA)

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Upland Rice Production Takes Off in Caraga with a Training of Trainers

This blogger (its me) one of the participants of the study tour inspects upland rice in Arakan, Cotabato

In response to the call of Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala to tapped upland rice farming to boost up food production in the country, the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 13 (DA- RFO 13) and the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) jointly conducted the Training of Trainers (TOT) for Upland Rice Production recently.

Two batches of participants from municipal and provincial agriculture offices within Caraga Region successfully graduated on the training which was held at Pastoral Center, Ampayon, Butuan City. 

Salient topics on upland rice production ranging from seed preparation to harvesting as well its varieties were thoroughly discussed through the expertise of two resource persons, namely  PhilRice Agusan Manager Abner Montecalvo and Sammy Gualiza of PAKISAMA, a non- government organization (NGO) who actively advocates natural farming.

ATI Caraga Center Director Nenita Sumile said that Caraga Region is a potential area for upland rice production since its vast areas were not irrigated and some were sloping.

Technically, upland agriculture were practiced in non-irrigated fields without impounded surface water, occurs in mountainous areas, but not exclusive, as may occur in lower elevation and upland areas do not have to be sloping, they can be flat also, such in the case of South Asian uplands.

To encourage farmers to engage in upland rice farming, each local government units committed to put up a demo farm for upland to showcase the technology to the farmers on its locality. 

In order for each participant to actively advocate upland rice farming , a field tour was conducted in Arakan, North Cotabato to see for themselves the actual upland rice farms.

Arakan farmers are largely engaged  in upland rice farming thus the Municipality of Arakan proudly claims as the home of Denurado Rice, an upland rice traditional variety. (AURELL P. ARAIS/DA RAFID CARAGA)

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