DA-Caraga, Agusan Up ink MOU to boost high-value crops production in Agusan del Norte
By DA-Caraga
BUTUAN CITY, June 22 -- More local veggies to come.
This, as the Vegetable Derby in Agusan del Norte kicks off with
the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) held between the
Department of Agriculture - Caraga, Agusan Up, Mindanao Development Authority
(MinDA), and Private Seed Companies on June 18 at the provincial capitol.
The Vegetable Derby, originally initiated by the MinDA, aims to
stimulate economic development, particularly through High-Value Crops
Production. It was localized by the province of Agusan del Norte through its
flagship program called Agusan Up to explore, focus, and build up potential
areas for commercial vegetable growing in the whole province of Agusan del
Norte.
“Inspired by the initiatives of our neighboring regions, this
MOU is not just a mere sheet of paper, the stakeholders are duty-bound to
perform the tasks to alleviate the vegetable production and initiate an
economic recovery in the agriculture sector of the province,” Committee Chair
on Agriculture Provincial Board Member Vergilio Escasinas Jr. said.
Five (5) private seed companies participated such as East-West Seeds, Seedworks Philippines Inc., Allied Botanical Corporation, Pilipinas Kaneko Seed Company, and Ramgo International. Cited on the term of reference, these companies will provide the necessary seeds for the demonstration farm.
DA - Caraga, in its end, will provide materials needed for the
nursery, including concerns on irrigation, especially in the testing site.
MinDA will be responsible for the sourcing of prizes for the duration of the
derby. The province of Agusan del Norte, in its end, is responsible for
providing logistics, labor, and support to the participating
stakeholders.
Agusan del Norte Governor Dale B. Corvera expressed his
gratitude to the Department for its utmost support to its flagship program
which greatly emphasizes agricultural development in the region such as its
Agus 3Ps or Plant and Process for Prosperity.
“We developed Agusan Up centering on our vision of rising
Agusan del Norte as an Agri-Forest Province and Economic Processing Zone of
Caraga by 2027, and through this Vegetable Derby, we will be able to explore
potential areas for vegetable production so that our people will no longer have
to source from other places,” Gov. Corvera said.
The demo farm and/or site of the Vegetable Derby has already
been utilized by the seed companies to assess its agro-climatic conditions. Ten
(10) commodities of high-value crops from different seed companies have been
included for the pilot testing. Three months after its launching, a field day
will be held to showcase the product of the competition. (Kent Warren H.
Fugoso, DA-RAFIS13/PIA Agusan del Norte)
