Cultivation of high-value crops eyed for typhoondisplaced Samar farmers

Malacañang the other day said President Aquino wants alternative sources of livelihood for coconut farmers in Northern Samar following the destruction brought by typhoon “Nona.”

Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the Cabinet Cluster on Social Development and Poverty Alleviation is promoting intercropping of high value crops for predominantly coconut areas.

“Halimbawa, doon sa ilang bahagi ng Mindanao, maaaring suitable for coffee production. Iyung malaki ang demand para sa kape, nagsabi na sa atin ‘yung isang malaking kumpanya, ‘yung Nestlé, na nais nilang ma-expand ‘yung kanilang pagkuha ng raw materials dito sa ating bansa [For example, there are areas in Mindanao that may be suitable for coffee production and there is a big demand for coffee. Multinational company Nestlé has expressed its intention to expand investment here by getting their sources of raw materials from our country],” Coloma explained.

President Aquino, in his visit to Northern Samar last Wednesday, said coconut farmers could plant alternative crops, such as cacao and vegetables, so they could earn money in the next few months.

He also said he wants local governments to submit a rehabilitation plan that details how to provide the people with livelihood.

The President mentioned that Nestlé imports about 80 percent of its raw materials but wants to increase materials sourced locally, so long as local farmers could support its production needs.

Build back better As for the government’s “Build Back Better” campaign, Coloma meanwhile said the government has set standards to ensure that structures, particularly classrooms, would be able to withstand typhoons up to 250 kilometers per hour.

According to the Palace official, the President’s visit to Northern Samar and Oriental Mindoro earlier this week was for him to see first hand the extent of the damages brought by typhoon “Nona” and make sure that he will be able to provide the necessary directives to concerned government agencies.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council estimated the total damage to Northern Samar’s agriculture sector at R211 million, with damage to rice farms amounting to R65,061,959; high-value crops at R36,022,287; the fishery sector at R36,023,250; and banana plantations at R28,708,801.

Total damage to the coconut sector, meanwhile, is estimated at R957.9 million, with “Nona” affecting 47 percent of Northern Samar’s coconut farms.