The regional office of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Caraga has launched its first ever urban farming project in the region to ensure food security and give its beneficiaries additional source of income amid the COVID-19 crisis.
DAR's office in Agusan del Sur recently partnered with the provincial government and the Department of Agriculture in converting a one-hectare vacant lot in Barangay Hubang into an urban farm as part of the agency's thrust to promote urban farming.
At least 32 individuals will benefit from the project, entitled Buhay sa Gulay—a self-help start-up livelihood project where concerned government agencies and organizations converge, share resources and offer beneficiaries opportunities to ensure food security amid the pandemic and provide them with an additional source of income, DAR said Thursday, Nov. 18.
"This very bold move will encourage the community to start making a living in the urban areas, appreciate agriculture and realize that this pandemic is just a challenge that we should always dare to leap," said DAR-Caraga Regional Director Leomides Villareal, who led the synchronized planting of vegetable seedlings to kick off the activity.