CAO urges farmers here to plant root crops

THE Davao City Agriculturist Office encouraged farmers to plant more carbohydrate substitutes as an alternative to rice due to the low level of production of rice from the city.

“We are encouraging root crops and more production of cassava,” said CAO Operations Chief Jovencio T. Umanguing during the I-Speak media forum yesterday.

He said the actual rice production from Davao can supply only 10 percent of the demand of rice in Davao.

Umanguing said most of agricultural lands in the city are also allotted for high value crop and fruit trees. The National Irrigation Authority also identified 2,000 hectares for irrigation but this will take five to 10 years to develop.

He said agricultural lands in Davao City have been reduced in the past years due to the rapid land conversion, which, according to him, does not usually require approval from their office.

“It was only lately that they have been asking certification from us before other offices will act on the matter,” he said.

Umanguing also said out of 244 hectares of Davao city, 150 to 160 hectares are good for agricultural use.

He said despite the city’s low rice production, Davao City is lucky that it is the center of trading and most of products go through here.

National Food Authority Provincial Manager for Davao Region Edegary H. Roncal said rice sold in Davao is imported from other areas.

“Davao City is at a very critical category… There are almost negligible areas for palay use and the production of rice is highly dependent in Davao del Sur, Davao

del Norte, Soccsksargen, Caraga Region, and even outside Mindanao," she said.

Roncal said through the minimum access volume program with the private sector, the city had an inflow of 800,000 bags from Vietnman and Thailand last January to March.

She said that another 5,000 metric tons of rice is also expected in the first week of May.

Roncal said based on their computation, the city needs 10,920 bags of rice per day which means that it needs a total of 327,600 bags of rice per month.

Meanwhile, Umanguing said they are pushing their advocacy for people to buy crops that can substitute rice.

“I think that it is just a matter of lifestyle, there are some other sources of carbohydrates aside from rice,” he said.

Umanguing said they also conduct activities that include feeding programs that introduces the other carbohydrate sources mixed with rice. KVC