Agri-10 holds a coordination meeting with the LGUs of MisOr and Camiguin.

 

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Geared toward increased agricultural productivity and income, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10) through its Farm and Fisheries Clustering and Coordination (F2C2) Program organized a coordination meeting with local government units in Misamis Oriental and Camiguin, on April 18, in this city.

During the activity, city and municipal agriculturists and program coordinators from the said provinces convened to discuss the program’s accomplishments in the past year, and its thrusts for 2024.

Through this, DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado said, the national agency can harmonize efforts with the local government in advancing the region’s agricultural productivity.

According to Program focal person Gay Nanette R. Aleria, F2C2 has coordinated with 17 clusters in Misamis Oriental, and 2 clusters in Camiguin, which all form part of the identified 154 clusters in Northern Mindanao in 2023. Further, Aleria said that Rice farm clusters remain the biggest (36.4%) among other clusters by commodity, followed by Corn and Cassava (28.1%), High Value crops (14.9%), Fisheries (14%), Fiber (2.5%) and Livestock (2.5%).

To which Provincial Operations Center chief for Misamis Oriental and Camiguin, Wilson V. Lagdamin underscored the importance of the shared efforts in clustering and consolidation of farmers.

“Through [clustering and consolidation], the Department is better equipped to strategically mainstream its programs and services to more farmers and fisherfolk, which will result in more productive market linkages, increased income, and overall development of agriculture in the region,” Lagdamin said.

Through the F2C2 program, the DA has assisted various farmers’ cooperatives, and associations (FCAs) through market linkages with the private sector and other agri-fishery stakeholders, and has also facilitated marketing tie-ups and local market matching in cooperation with its Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD).

Likewise, the program also supports FCAs by facilitating write-shops of their respective Cluster Development Plans, as well as product development and cooperative management through its capacity-building component.

Capping off the event, Aleria enjoined the participants to revisit their respective CDPs to ensure that their FCAs operate and participate in local agri-fishery production that is according to their respective LGUs’ investment plans. Present during the event were representatives from the Misamis Oriental Provincial Agriculture Office, the Agricultural Productivity Operations Office of Cagayan de Oro, and the city agriculture offices of El Salvador and Gingoog, Misamis Oriental.

Municipal agriculturists from the towns of Opol, Alubijid, Laguindingan, Initao, Naawan, Claveria, Villanueva, Talisayan, Balingoan, Balingasag, and Magsaysay were also in attendance.

From DA-10, said coordination meeting was also supported by F2C2 alternate program focal person Marnelly Ann P. Flores, and program staff.# (GDA)