DA to boost support for horticultural farmers affected by El Niño
Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. has announced plans to extend support and improve technical knowledge for horticultural farmers whose production has decreased due to the effects of El Niño.
On May 3, Friday, Tiu Laurel suggested that in order to boost production, the DA can make use of open areas that are available, stating that “horticulture and urban agriculture are very important because we have a lot of unused land in our cities… we have to utilize all the areas possible.”
“As far as horticulture is concerned, there are a lot of available plants and varieties that can be produced. We’re just lacking market right now,” he added.
During the Horticulture and Urban Agriculture Summit 2024, the DA chief also mentioned that the market for ornamental plants, like flowers, is growing in cities.
“Regarding the landscaping, I was told that there’s a lack of supply versus demand. So there’s still a good opportunity for [expansion].”
Subsequently, Tiu Laurel believed that boosting exports would help scale up the livelihoods of local farmers.
“We have a lot of plants set out for export to other countries and there are those valued at P1 million to P2 million, so it’s something to look into, especially with our green-thumb stakeholders… I think we have a good export potential for that.”
In February, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said that exporting horticultural products like coconut, cashew nuts, and algae to India could garner $1.12 million or P68.9 million.