Kahapunan, Valencia City, April 1, 2020 – Fifteen seed companies throughout the country showcased various hybrid rice varieties in the 10th National Rice Technology Forum (NRTF) of the DA, Rice Board in partnership with PhilRice and the local government of Valencia City.

Launched on December 5, 2019, the NRTF is an initiative of DA with an aim to promote the latest technologies in rice production, especially on hybrid rice developed by the government and the private sectors.

Three months after its launching, the City Agriculture Office of Valencia City started its crop cutting and data gathering activities to determine the projected yield and the characteristics of each rice variety planted in the 100-hectare demo farm.

The NRTF is one of the strategies of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to attain rice sufficiency through the adoption of hybrid rice technology.

DA-Regional Field Office 10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado, said that such activity allows local farmers to identify which rice variety best suits their area, which in turn, will augment their productivity and income.

In Region 10, RD Collado emphasized also the farm mechanization component to effectively make farming more efficient and reduce postharvest losses.

The use of farm machineries include combine harvester, mechanical transplanter – riding type, drone seeder, direct seeder – riding type and the walk-behind transplanter.#

Due to community quarantine, social distancing and work-from-home arrangements to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the agriculture department has opt to meet through a teleconference meeting on March 31, 2020.

Presided by DA chief William D. Dar, the meeting tackled on agri-fishery updates and concerns such as the monitoring of food supply and provision of financial assistance to farmers, among others.

The said meeting was participated by DA officials from its central and regional offices, including DA-Regional Field Office 10 headed by OIC-Regional Director Carlene C. Collado, Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga and program focal persons. # (AMBManto)

In light of the threat of COVID-19, DA-10 Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga talks on the agency’s steps to assure stable food supply in the region, in an interview with the Philippine Information Agency 10 on March 31, 2020.

Of which, she shared DA’s initiatives such as the issuance of Foodlane passes and accreditations, alcohol formulation for distribution to agency’s frontliners and personnel, implementation of price freeze of agri-fishery products and distribution of vegetable seeds, among others. # (AMBManto)

Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) through Provincial Operations Center Chief Nilda B. Salas turns over assorted vegetable seeds to the 1st district of Misamis Oriental, headed by Congressman Christian S. Unabia who was represented by his personal aide Romil Abacahin on March 31, 2020 at the agency’s ALPAS COVID-19 center located at the DA-10 compound. # (AMBManto)

To enable families to attain food security in the different households of the province amid the current health outbreak, Department of Agriculture – Northern Mindanao continues the distribution of vegetable seeds (300 packets), amounting to Php52,000.00 to the Provincial Agriculture’s Office of Misamis Oriental.

Such initiative is in support to the agency’s overall pending request of Php31-billion approval of the Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat (ALPAS) Kontra sa COVID-19, which is at the moment, already approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and for consideration and approval by President Duterte.

Of which, will expedite the provision of assistance to farmers and fisherfolk as well as the public, in general, to help escalate the food adequacy level of the country during this period of emergency health crisis. #

Talakag, Bukidnon, April 1 – The strengthened partnership of Universal Robina Corporation (URC) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) will accelerate the growth of some potato farming communities in Bukidnon.

The Miarayon Highland Farmers Association (MHFA) of Talakag, Bukidnon and the Imbayao Community-based Participatory Research (CPAR) of Malaybalay City, Bukidnon received the 27-ton granola variety of potato seeds, in the towns of Miarayon in Talakag and Imbayao, Malaybalay City of Bukidnon, respectively.

DA – Regional Field Office 10 OIC-Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado and DA-Bureau of Plant Industry-Plant Quarantine Services (DA-BPI-PQS) Regional Manager Region 10 Manuel A. Baradas with BPI-PQS quarantine officers and the local government representatives led the delivery and turnover of potato seeds to the farmer-beneficiaries.

Dir. Collado emphasized that through the Sustainable Potato Development Program, potato farmers’ annual yield will increase and scale up their productivity output.

Each farmer-association received 13.5 tons, respectively.

Each mesh bag weighs 25 kilograms of potato seeds from Charlottetown, Canada which will be planted for seed and commercial production in said areas in the province.

Ryan Dano, president of MHFA stressed, “we cannot afford to fail the government’s project that will benefit more farmers in Region 10.”

In 2019, for the first batch of URC’s farm inputs, MHFA recorded the highest yield of 3.5 kilograms of tubers in a hill or plant, with a yield of 50 tons in a hectare, among other beneficiaries of the company in the country.# (ATCabig)

Cagayan de Oro, March 30 – As the distribution of relief packs is among the initiatives that local governments has been adopting to curb the spread of COVID-19, the agriculture department (DA) urges its officials to consider buying local farmers’ produce.

“Aside from the usual distribution of canned goods and other processed food, we suggest the local government units (LGUs) to engage in buying fresh produce from our farmers,” Carlene C. Collado, officer-in-charge, regional executive director of DA-Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10), reiterated the DA chief’s appeal.

The DA exec went on to relay that the measure will be ‘a win-win situation for both producers and consumers’.

“By encouraging LGUs to buy directly from our noble providers of food in their respective localities, farmers will have an assured market while we strongly uplift their morale to produce more quality agri-fishery products amid the current health crisis.

Meanwhile, promotion of a healthier diet can also be achieved through the consumption of these agri-commodities by the different households,” the director said.

Dir. Collado also urged the food suppliers, especially those who already have commitments for deliveries across the region to secure foodlane passes from the agency, to fast track their deliveries from production areas to their desired drop-off points.

“Such initiative is coordinated with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), with the foremost intent for a seamless distribution of food and production items amid established quarantine checkpoints,” the DA exec elaborated.

As of March 30, 5:30 p.m., a total of 3,053 foodlane passes has already been issued by the different processing centers located throughout Northern Mindanao:

• DA-10 – Antonio Luna Street, Cagayan de Oro (CdeO) City;
• POC Bukidnon – San Victores Road, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon;
• POC Lanao del Norte – Tubod, Lanao del Norte;
• POC Misamis Occidental – Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental;
• Regulatory Division – Julio Pacana Street, Macabalan, CdeO City;
• Research Center for Upland Development – Barongcot, Dangcagan, Bukidnon;
• Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Complex – Dalwangan, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon;
• National Meat Inspection Service – El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental;
• Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources – Macabalan, CdeO City;
• Bureau of Plant Industry – Plant Quarantine Service – Macabalan, CdeO City;
• Research Center for Hillyland Development – Lanise, Claveria, Misamis Oriental;
• POC Camiguin c/o Provincial Agriculture Office – Pandan, Mambajao, Camiguin.

For thorough information and guidance, interested applicants may also opt to access http://agribusiness.da.gov.ph while online submissions can be made to this email: amad1northmin@gmail.com.

“In either way our food and production item suppliers, delivery truckers or other related distribution entities would want to bring their items to consumers, DA continues to laud their efforts for joining the government in ensuring food security during this health outbreak,” the director noted.#

To ensure unhampered delivery of agri-fishery products amid the threat of COVID-19, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) through its Provincial Operations Centers (POC), Research Stations and Regulatory Division have started catering applications on March 24, 2020 for the issuance of FoodLane accreditation certification and vehicle passes.

Through this initiative, suppliers and truckers may now visit the nearest processing centers in their respective areas:

DA-RFO 10 – Antonio Luna Street, Cagayan de Oro City
POC Misamis Oriental and Camiguin – Antonio Luna Street, Cagayan de Oro City and Provincial Capitol Compound; Pandan, Mambajao, Camiguin (c/o Provincial Agriculture Office)
POC Bukidnon – San Victores Road, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon
POC Lanao del Norte – Tubod, Lanao del Norte
POC Misamis Occidental – Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental
Regulatory Division – Julio Pacana Street, Macabalan, Cagayan de Oro City
Research Center for Upland Development (RCUD) – Barongcot, Dangcagan, Bukidnon
Research Center for Hillyland Development (RCHD) – Lanise, Claveria, Misamis Oriental
Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Complex – Dalwangan, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon

Clients may also opt to process their applications online through http://agribusiness.da.gov.ph.

With the additional processing centers stationed at the different areas of Northern Mindanao, the agency eyes a huge turnout of applicants amid the implementation of community quarantine in these areas.

Through which, as of March 27, 2020, a combined total of 2,539 FoodLane passes has already been issued from the said processing centers. #

Cagayan de Oro City, March 28 – The agriculture department (DA) encourages the Filipinos in the government’s bid of ensuring every household adequate, accessible and affordable food through the Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat Kontra sa COVID-19 (ALPAS COVID-19).

Complementing the department’s existing regular programs, DA under the helm of Secretary William D. Dar has already sought an additional Php31 billion fund to fulfill its mandate of ensuring a food secure Philippines amid the current health crisis.

The requested budget will be used to provide immediate assistance in scaling-up activities relative to food productivity and availability, food accessibility and mobility, and food price stability.

“In doing so, it will avert food shortage, supply disruptions, and unstable prices as the COVID-19 pandemic challenges even more our farm and fishery production, including the movement of agricultural commodities and products from production to market areas,” said DA-RFO 10 OIC-Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado, reiterating the agriculture secretary’s statement.

While the supplemental budget is underway, DA-Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) through its High Value Crops Development Program intensified the distribution of vegetable seeds to the local governments in Region 10.

On behalf of DA-RFO 10 exec Carlene C. Collado, Regional Technical Director Carlota S. Madriaga handed over four boxes of vegetable seeds to the City Agriculture’s Office of CdeO.

Costing more than a hundred thousand, the boxes of vegetable seeds come in different variants (5-in-1 Pinakbet, 4-in-1 Chopsuey, 4-in-1 Salad Green and 5-in-1 Sinigang).

“While most of us are staying in our homes, we could be a lot more productive by planting vegetables in our own backyards or gardens,” Madriaga said, on the provision of seeds to the city government, which is targeted to be given to its constituents.

“Even more rewarding later on, is reaping the fruit of one’s labor, as they can consume their harvest, which are nutritiously good and safe, without going beyond the comforts of their home,” she added.

This Monday, DA-NorMin will continue to distribute more vegetable seeds to the different local governments across the Region, with DA-10’s Provincial Operations Center of the respective provinces through the city/municipal agriculture office expected to facilitate the distribution to its residents amid the imposed community quarantine.

On the other hand, the office has set up the ALPAS COVID-19 center to cater to the needs of walk-in clients interested to go into backyard gardening.

The center is open from Mondays to Sundays, from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

“We urge everyone to be one with us, to reinforce the government’s efforts during this difficult time, to ensure food is set at the tables of every Filipino household,” the director concluded.#