AGRICULTURE

DAVAO CITY – With the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) crisis threatening the supply chain all over the world, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol urged the Filipinos to grow their own food and not merely depend on imports.

On a Facebook post on Friday, Piñol, said noted that as a rich agricultural country, the Philippines must learn from the pandemic and purge itself from the mindset that the country could continue sourcing food supplies--especially rice--from other nations.

KIDAPAWAN CITY - Hope in Family Farms!

The COVID-19 Pandemic, when it finally ends, will leave us with very important lessons not only on how to handle and address a global health crisis but more profoundly on how to craft our national food security strategies.

The Neo-Liberal economic mantra of Global Food Supply Inter-Dependence and Total Free Market has been effectively thrashed by the immediate reaction of major food suppliers to hold on to their production to ensure the welfare of their people in the face of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This was after the Department of Agriculture (DA) XII has successfully launched the "KADIWA ni Ani at Kita on Wheels" in Koronadal City.

"This kind of initiative is not only beneficial for our consumers. But it is also a support for our local farmers and fishers here in the region", DA-XII Regional Executive Director Arlan Mangelen said.

"KADIWA ni Ani at Kita on Wheels" offers affordable and fresh products like rice, fish, chicken, eggs, vegetables, fruits and processed foods”, he added.

COTABATO CITY  – An economist and agriculture expert from Samar has expressed doubts on the Rice Tarfiffication Law and fears of rice shortage mainly due to the coronavirus.

“Rice Tariffication Law now being judged...with Vietnam our #1 imported rice source closing...let us pray that Thailand & India won’t close its door for us...,” said Raul Reyes, an active social media player who airs comments and analysis on national and local issues through his FB page.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) recently turned-over a "Hogstel" Project worth P3.7-million to the city local government unit of Kidapawan.

Kidapawan City Mayor Joseph Evangelista received the project which is built in Barangay Kalaisan.

“The Hogstel project, funded under the Livestock Program of the DA XII, is a hog facility that would enable swine producers to breed and fatten their animals more systematically,” DA XII regional executive director Milagros Casis said in a statatement.

DAVAO CITY - The government's effort to contain the spread of the African Swine Fever (ASF) which was reported in the remote coastal town of Don Marcelino, Davao Occidental is expected to succeed as a total lockdown was declared by the provincial government and the Department of Agriculture yesterday.

After an initial confusion, national government agencies, local governments and the private sector jointly jumped into action and implemented a total ban on the transport of hogs and pork from the whole province.

TANTANGAN, South Cotabato - The Department of Agriculture (DA) surprised farmers of Tantangan in South Cotabato with more than PhP38-million worth of projects as they celebrated their town’s 59^thfounding anniversary Thursday.

Agriculture Secretary Dr. William "Manong Willie" Dar personally awarded the multi-million agricultural projects to the local government unit, farmers’ associations and individual farmers.

Targeting a lucrative market!

DAVAO CITY - As Mindanao starts the export of organic brown, red and black rice, I have been confronted by the question: "Why are you exporting when the rest of the country is importing rice?"

My answer is simple: Mindanao is not exporting a commodity which is Rice.

We are exporting a High Value Product which is organically grown brown, red and black rice for a niche market willing to pay a higher price for healthy food.

PIGCAWAYAN, North Cotabato  – President Rodrigo Duterte today assured farmers in the Soccsksargen region and in the country that his administration will have “after delivery services” to farmer beneficiaries of agricultural intervention.

“The problem with previous administration was they just extended help to farmers and nothing else, no monitoring, no help after, no after delivery services, that is why the agriculture sector failed to take off,” President Duterte said in vernacular in a speech here Friday afternoon.

PIGCAWAYAN, North Cotabato - Governor Nancy Catamco lobbied with Department of Agriculture Secretary William Dar for more support to farmers of North Cotabato.

While waiting for President Duterte's visit here, Catamco met with Secretary Dar before the turn over of P58 million worth of agricultural intervention to various farmers organisations in North Cotabato Province.

The governor personally requested Dar's support in furthering agricultulral aid to farmers through the provision of farm implements, equipment and farm inputs.