DA urges giving vegetable bouquets
THE Department of Agriculture (DA)-Regional 2 (Cagayan Valley) office is advocating giving to loved ones vegetable bouquets instead of flowers.
Ferdinand Cortez of the DARegion 2 Agriculture and Fisheries Information Section said this is the brainchild of DA-Region 2 Officer in Charge (OIC) Executive Director Rose Mary Aquino, who observed that some farmers in the region have surplus harvest.
And on February 12, officials and employees of the regional office greeted each other with vegetable bouquets as a prelude to Valentine’s Day.
“By doing this, we can help them (farmers) sell their products, and in the long run, it could be something new to express our love and tenderness this Heart’s Day to people we care for,” Aquino said.
She added that giving vegetable bouquets should not be limited during Valentine’s Day.
Roberto Busania, DA-Region 2 technical director for operations and extension, also encouraged officials and employees in the regional office to make their loved ones feel cherished by presenting them with something truly memorable.
“This year, let’s elevate our gestures by offering a bouquet of vibrant vegetables instead of the usual flowers,” Busania said.
Kay Olivas, the DA-Region OIC regional technical director for research and regulations, said that the unique arrangement and presentation of vegetables in a bouquet could also be used in housewarming and other events.
“It is also great that we can eat them after using them as ornaments,” she said.
Cortez said the unique and resplendent vegetable contents of the bouquet are locally sourced from farmers in far-flung areas who are having a hard time selling their produce.
“Three years ago, we launched this kind of activity at the Department of Agriculture in Region 2, or Cagayan Valley, and others can do it every February 14 and on other occasions,” he added.