CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro – The Department of Agriculture has reported that 211 facilities have been built in the Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan or Mimaropa region to boost agricultural production.
CALAPAN City Mayor Malou F. Morillo (right) presents a fertilizer discount voucher from the Department of Agriculture to female farmer-beneficiary. (Mayor Morillo FB)
Christopher Banas, DA-Mimaropa regional executive director, said these facilities, such as warehouses, processing facilities, sheds, animal houses, greenhouses, and Gulayan sa Paaralan at Barangay, are intended primarily for the department’s food security program.
Banas also said that four cold storage warehouses are being constructed for onion growers in Occidental and Oriental Mindoro. These facilities located in the towns of Rizal, Sablayan and San Jose, Occidental Mindoro and Bulalacao in Oriental Mindoro have a capacity of 20 bags per storage house.
Banas added that 140,350 hectares of farm lands in Oriental and Occidental Mindoro and Palawan have been planted with hybrid rice this year and 1,625 with corn.
He said they are eyeing higher agricultural outputs with a minimal cost of production in line with Malacanang’s Masaganang Agrikultura, Maunlad na Ekonomiya program which promotes the full use of modern machineries in rural areas and high-yielding variety of seeds.
Meanwhile, 700 farmers here received fertilizer discount vouchers amounting to P2.3 million.
Mayor Malou F. Morillo, who accompanied DA personnel in the distribution activity, commended the farmers for their sacrifices and commitment as she vowed to empower the farming sector and ensure food security in the city.