BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera Office of the Agriculture Department turned over to hundreds of Baguio-based farmers a plant shredder, corn seeds and greenhouse materials to help in strengthening their production of crops that will contribute in the government’s efforts to empower the agriculture sector in achieving food self-sufficiency not only in rural areas but also in urban centers in the country.
The distribution of the shredder, corn seeds and greenhouse materials was done by DA-CAR officials, in coordination with the local government through the City Council Committee on Market, Trade, Commerce and Agriculture chaired by Councilor Leandro B. Yangot, Jr., during simple rites conducted at Happy Hallow Barangay Thursday.
The plant shredder which will be used in converting plant trimmings and other vegetable waste to organic fertilizer was given to the farmers association from Happy Hallow while the corn seeds and greenhouse materials were turned over to the City Agriculture Division under the City Veterinary Office for distribution to the interested farmers based in the different barangays that have areas producing agricultural crops.
“Our city-based farmers are so lucky that the agriculture department included them as among the beneficiaries of the available interventions that the agency is implementing to help in improving their productivity and eventually achieve the government’s goal of food self-sufficiency among their ranks even in an urban setting,” Councilor Yangot stressed.
Earlier, DA-CAR regional director Cameron Odsey committed that farmers based in urban centers like Baguio City will be included as part of the beneficiaries of the various programs geared towards empowering agriculture industry stakeholders to be food self-sufficient in the future.
Yangot added the committee continues to engage concerned government agencies to sustain the gains of the local agriculture sector considering the need to maximize the utilization of available spaces in the city’s 128 barangays to produce quality crops that will be sold in the markets.
He noted that residents involved in urban gardening in the different barangays are increasing because of the support that they are getting not only from the local government but also the concerned government agencies responsible for the aggressive promotion of the production of organically grown crops due to the increasing demand for the same as people now want to embrace healthy living.
Yangot said the City Agriculture Division continues to play an active role in espousing urban gardening in the different barangays using various interventions because agriculture can actually exist in an urban setting where the space to produce agriculture crops is limited.
Aside from providing local farmers with the support for them to be able to expand their backyard gardens, Yangot claimed the agriculture department included Baguio City farmers as among the beneficiaries of whatever technical and financial assistance that will be provided by the agency under the 2019 budget.
The local government continues to be aggressive in encouraging residents to maximize the utilization of available spaces in their homes to produce at least a portion of their food requirements.
By Dexter A. See
