CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – In line with the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10’s (DA-RFO 10’s) thrust to increase food sufficiency across the region, the agency dispensed a total of 585 packets of assorted vegetable seeds to the different offices within the city.

DA-RFO 10 Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga, who handed over the seed interventions said, each packet of the veggie seeds, weighing 36 grams can cover up to 1,000 square meter area.

Said intervention is part of DA Secretary Dar’s Plant, Plant, Plant Program, also known as Agri 4Ps.

It targets to increase the country’s food adequacy level, especially amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Recipients are: Tamboboan and Kauswagan barangay councils; Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP); Philippine National Police – Regional Maritime Unit 10 (PNP-RMU 10); and the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (CLENRO) received the Pinakbet variant (5-in-1) of veggie seeds, consisting of ampalaya, okra, string beans, squash and eggplant.

Aside from the Pinakbet variant, PCUP has also availed the Sinigang 5-in-1 packet, which consists kangkong, radish, tomato, string beans and okra.

For barangays Tamboboan and Kauswagan, they will hold an urban gardening contest in their respective barangays to showcase the produce of the vegetable seeds obtained from DA.

“Through this activity, the locals will be encourage to start their own vegetable gardens, where they can get nutritious food during the health crisis,” the barangay representatives said.

PCUP-Fields Operations Division for Mindanao Assistant Regional Director Cynthia B. Rosales mentioned, the seeds will be used for their Urban Container Gardening Project in collaboration with the Agricultural Productivity Office (APO).

APO will assist in the provision of technical expertise during trainings in select barangays to pilot the project.

Rosales said, the seeds will be given as start-up seeds to the participants of the training, while PCUP will monitor the commitments of involved barangays who will be engaging the gardening activity.

Meanwhile, PNP-RMU 10 will share the seeds to all its stations for backyard gardening to benefit its personnel and locals nearby.

Further, CLENRO will also distribute the packets of seeds to their beneficiaries in the hinterland barangays of the city, who have their own communal gardens.# (EMBentulan)