Agri dept eyes increased RE use

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) will push for the optimization of renewable energy (RE) to grow food using aquaponics and hydroponics technologies.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar on Monday received from Weather Philippines Foundation Inc. President Maribeth Marasigan 19 units of 30-watt solar panels that can be used to power water systems for vegetable production.

According to Dar, the panels will be utilized at the DA’s Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) urban gardens in Malate, Manila to generate electricity to sustain the agency’s aquaponics and hydroponics systems.

“We are promoting in a big way renewable energy in agriculture as this is the key to level up food production in the future,” Dar said.

He added the initiative will intensify the government’s move towards a sustainable, strong and climate-resilient food production system.

In his message during the turnover ceremonies for the solar panels, Dar encouraged corporations to band with the DA through partnerships involving primary production, secondary and tertiary processing through their corporate social responsibility programs, and agribusiness efforts.

“This will not only address food security and create income opportunities for our local farmers and fishers in the rural areas, but it will also fasttrack the agri- industrialization movement for the country,” he explained.

For his part, BPI Director George Culaste said “we look forward to creating more partnerships with your group so that we can show the nation that if we work together, we can heal as one.”

The DA has been mainstreaming initiatives for urban agriculture as part of its Plant, Plant, Plant Program that was conceptualized and launched right after the quarantines caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.