The Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office Cordillera (DA-RFO CAR) jumpstarts its High Value Crops Development (HVCDP) Week with the opening of the Green Grocers Year 2 at the BPI Compound, Flagpole area, Guisad, Baguio City after the regular flag raising ceremony recently.
The “Green Grocers” is a venue for assisted farmers’ organizations and young farmers challenge (YFC) awardees to sell their agricultural produce for a week in their designated booths near the Flagpole area. These products are either organically-produced or from good agricultural practices (GAP) Certified farms. Among the agri-products being sold are highland and leafy vegetables, lowland vegetables, roots and tuber crops, legumes, cucumber, coconut, spices, herbal plants, dried fishes, wild honey, poultry eggs, fruit juices, and some ready-to-eat/drink processed agri-based products. The Green Grocers is until April 20, 2022.
The HVCDP Week was institutionalized in 2021 in celebration of the anniversary of the implementation of Republic Act No. 7900 otherwise known as the “High-Value Crops Development Act of 1995”, and in observance of Proclamation No. 469, Series of 2018, declaring the month of April of every year as the “Filipino Food Month”. This year, the HVCDP Week bears the theme, “Green Revolution Road Towards Exportation”.
DA-CAR Regional Executive Director Cameron P. Odsey said that the Cordillera region has abundant natural resources allowing for the production of various agricultural crops. Hence, these resources should be maintained to increase the region’s productivity as the expansion of production areas is not always an option considering the region’s topography.
Moreover, in line with the Filipino Food Month (FFM) Celebration, he encouraged the agriculture personnel to promote their indigenous agricultural products and revive the indigenous crops through the continuous seed exchange and the “Gulayan sa Paaralan/Barangay” programs of the DA-CAR. “Let us encourage the students to grow their own native seeds and for the barangays to source out their own local seeds to be planted and promoted in the community, Dir. Odsey added.
The DA-RFO CAR through its HVCD Program will also conduct training on good agricultural practices (GAP) for farmers of Benguet and Baguio City and a regional meeting for high value crops agricultural extension workers within the week. By JBAgrifino
