Agri-10 officials together with USec for High Value Crops Caballero eyes to bolster high value crops production in Region 10.

 

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Forming part of its bid to enhance agricultural productivity in the region, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10) recently facilitated a series of site visit across various production areas of high value crops in Northern Mindanao.

On May 24 and 25, DA Undersecretary for High Value Crops Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero, was joined by DA-10 Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga and Regional Technical Director for Research and Regulations Cora A. Dumayaca, for a tour of strategic production sites for high value crops in the provinces of Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental.

According to USec Caballero, the strategic site visits are conducted to assess the region’s current production performance, and determine which aspects in crop production the DA can best intervene and provide support for, with interests in strengthening region 10’s high value crops productivity, efficiency and sustainability.

During her visit to the Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Complex in Dalwangan, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, the DA official was briefed on the agri research center’s current research and innovations on potato seed production through tissue culture, as well as the public-private partnerships engaged in by the agency to further bolster the production of said crop here.

As one of the region’s top agricultural commodity, the production of which is also supported by the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) of the DA, USec Caballero also visited ‘Finca de Garces’, an Arabica coffee farm in Pangantucan, Bukidnon to benchmark on best practices for its sustainable production.

It can be recalled that in 2023, Finca de Garces’ arabica coffee bagged the first place in the recently staged Philippine Coffee Competition, to which the undersecretary expressed optimism for the increased recognition of NorMin coffee growers and producers in the national and international scale.

Also part of the two-day activity were visits to the agency’s Research Center for Hillyland Development and an identified vanilla and cacao intercropping farm at the DA-Agricultural Training Institute Learning Center for Conservation Agriculture with Trees in Claveria, Misamis Oriental; and Flowerland, a PhilGAP certified farm engaged in Malaysian mums production funded by the DA-Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon for a benchmarking activity on the production of ornamental plants in region 10.

Moreover, the said activity is in line with DA Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr.’s three-year, eight-point plan, which underscores the need for strengthened coordination with farmers and other private stakeholders, and the expansion and improvement of agricultural sites, to achieve a ‘Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas’.

Present in support of the activity were DA-10 Bukidnon Provincial Operations Center chief Janet D. Lopez, DVM; and HVCDP focal person Kersten S. Pagalan.# (MPMT/GDA)