DAVAO ORIENTAL

is the Tuna Highway

2018-06-05 -

THE province being blessed with a longest coastline in Mindanao, Davao Oriental Governor Nelson Dayanghirang told a huge gathering of local fishers and farmers here that the province is the “Tuna Highway” in the country which offers a vast potential for fishing and aquamarine activities.

“Remember that our province is now called the Tuna Highway. Our ill-equipped local fishers cannot exploit our fishing grounds because they don’t have the capacity to reach the high seas where the tuna fish are owing to their small fishing boats that hinders them from venturing to the high seas. So our poor local fishermen are left fishing only along the shallow shorelines,” says Governor Nelson Dayangirang during a local celebration marking the month of May as farmers and fisherfolk’s month.

“That is why we asked both the regional and the national offices of the fisheries to help equip our local fisherfolk so they can compete with those outsiders who use large fishing vessels. We want our local fishers to make it big in the future. We cannot allow this to continue. We will not settle for a measly fish catch. We will not allow those outsiders to exploit and benefit from our very own rich fishing grounds,”he added.

Embrace New Technology

The governor, however, asked the local farmers to embrace new technologies being offered by the Department of Agriculture, stressing that the modern technologies and techniques would fuel growth especially in rice farming. Governor Dayanghirang says that as the population grows and farming land dwindles, more efficient means of producing crops are needed. Studies have shown that rice farm operations can increase net income through higher yield and reduce cost by mechanization alone. The governor says that this is indeed promising and efforts have been made to modernize local farming to make it globally competitive, environmentally friendly, and climate change-resilient.

Farmers and fishers, are the ones who supply the daily food requirements of our people especially in the province. But it is unfortunate indeed that based on data, our farmers only earn a measly sum of P4,000 to P5,000 a month. That is why the government aims to address this concern. The government is extending assistance to our farmers and fishers to improve their income. The government has new programs but I spotted a small problem.

“Number one is the reluctance of the farmers to embrace new technologies being offered by the Department of Agriculture. My appeal to our farmers is for you to embrace the new technologies being offered by the government. Our only intent is to help you in improving your income and for you to level up by maximizing the use of your farms,” says Governor Dayanghirang. During the celebration, the governor has turned over many farming equipment to the local farmers from ten municipalities and one city, among them are tractors, pumps, floating tillers, including seeds and fertilizers.

Top agriculture officials who graced the farmers and fisherfolk month’s celebration here says the government aims to modernize especially rice agriculture through the development of appropriate machinery and the employment of smart information and communication technologies that reduce labor and

operational costs, provide timely irrigation and drainage, minimize grain losses, use alternative sources of farm power, allow access to strategic information, and assist in farm decision-making. It focuses on improving two key aspects that are believed to improve rice production and decision-making: engineering and information systems. Rotchie Ravelo, the province’s chief agriculturist, says 80 percent of the province’s economy is agriculture-based.

However, sixteen local farmers including farmers’ organizations from Davao Oriental stood out as big winners in the Davao Region’s agriculture awards dubbed as Gawad Saka 2018. They are:

1. Edlun Ferrando, outstanding agri-entrepreneur

2. Zebolon Bastes, outstanding small-animal raiser

3. Benjamin Gonzaga, outstanding organic farmer

4. Conde Mascardo, outstanding fish culture

5. Joveto Arreza, outstanding HVCDP

6. Betty More, outstanding coconut farmer

7. Tandang Sora BFT, outstanding BFT

8. Donato Rubin, outstanding corn farmer

9. Edna Deypalubos, outstanding rice farmer

10. La Union Farmers Association, outstanding small farmers organization

11. PAFC Davao Oriental, outstanding PAFC

12. MAFC Lupon, outstanding MAFC