LGUS ENCOURAGED TO BOOST AGRI

DA 7 asks LGUs to work with them in implementing agri productivity enhancement initiatives

TO boost productivity in the agri-fishery sector, the Central Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC 7) is urging local government units to join in the effort and work with the Department of Agriculture to improve productivity at their levels.

Since 2012, the sector’s performance has been declining and the council believes getting LGUs to have a more active role will help the sector perform better.

The DA 7 sought the support of the RDC for LGUs to work with them in implementing their agricultural productivity enhancement initiatives. Among their recommendations is for provincial and municipal LGUs to craft and imple- ment their own agri-fishery development plans, as each locality has its own strengths and weaknesses.

The DA saw that some LGUs did not consider the sector a priority and did not put emphasis on planning for its growth.

Implementing and monitoring a development plan for agri-fisheries would require LGUs to strengthen their municipal agriculture offices, which would mean it is headed by a municipal agriculturist supervising five personnel. The staff is responsible for doing the groundwork on cereal, livestock, fishery and high value crop production efforts of the DA at the local level.

Earlier, the National Economic Devel- opment Authority 7 said it was working with the DA 7 to come up with strategic programs and projects to address the declining production of the sector, especially after it suffered from recent calamities.

The RDC 7 also sees the need for an existing program to expand its coverage.

To increase production and productivity in rice farms, they RDC 7 passed a resolution asking the Landbank of the Philippines and the DA to expand the coverage of the Sikat Saka Program.

The resolution, which was passed at their meeting last Dec. 19, requested the LBP and DA to extend coverage of the Sikat Saka Progra, to include rain-fed palay farms.

The program is a component of the DA’s food staples sufficiency program. Under the program, the LBP directly lends to small palay farmers through their irrigator’s associations. They can borrow at a minimum of P37,000 and pay a special rate of 14 percent per annum for the first two cycles. Rates go down by 1.0 percent per cycle until they reach a minimum rate of eight percent.

However, the program only covers irrigated farms, which comprise 60,505 hectares in Central Visayas. The RDC 7 noted that 45,686 hectares of rain-fed palay farms could also benefit from the program.