DA lists Taguig as 1st agri-aqua industrial biz corridor in Metro
THedepartmentofagriculture (DA) has identified Taguig City as the first agri-aqua industrial business corridor in Metro Manila due to its logistical advantage and proximity to Laguna Lake.
In a news statement, Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said they see “bigger potential” for Taguig as a new hub for farmers and agricultural investment as it is adjacent to Laguna Lake.
Taguig City is now the second identified area in the country to be transformed by the DA into an agriaqua industrial business corridor, a program that seeks to enhance farmers’ productivity and boost the agriculture sector’s contribution to the national economy.
“With all the existing facilities now by the Laguna Lake, I see a bigger potential for Taguig,” Dar said.
“Farmers and fisherfolk from Rizal and Laguna could come directly to Taguig using their boats to bring their produce and see to it that we have all the cold storages, the warehouses, and of course the open markets for people to come in a big way,” Dar added.
The plan was forged during the meeting of the Multi-agency Agricultural Government Assistance Program (MAAGAP) Para sa Kinabukasan sa Taguig last July 20.
The DA and the Taguig City local government also signed a memorandum agreement for Urban
Agriculture Project (UAP) as the city seeks to improve its urban food security.
“The UAP and MAAGAP for Taguig aim at enhancing urban food security and nutrition, providing an additional source of income through processing and improving efficiencies in the food value chain, addressing social integration of vulnerable communities, and contributing to urban ecological management,” the DA said.
Under the UAP, DA will provide Taguig City with interventions for crops, fisheries, and livestock from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and the Bureau of Animal
Industry (BAI).
“We just signed a program that would advance urban agriculture and other interventions for the City of Taguig and we will use the existing budgetary support that we have this year to start the projects that have been identified,” Dar said.
“This is a new normal, a new environment and whether we like it or not, even with pandemic like Covid-19, we cannot ignore the importance of planting and other agricultural activities,” Dar added.
House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, who attended the memorandum of agreement signing, said there is a “need to hit the right balance” for Taguig probinsyudad or rural-urban setting to be a sustainable city.