CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, February 23 – To further develop the agri-fishery sector in Northern Mindanao through improved delivery of agricultural programs and services, the Regional Agricultural and Fishery Council 10 (RAFC 10) conducted its second consultative meeting for the year.

Being an integral development partner of the Department of Agriculture (DA), the meeting convened its members to tackle issues and concerns besetting the agriculture sector, to correspondingly and ultimately craft policy recommendations.

Carlota S. Madriaga, regional technical director for operations of DA-10, attributed the private sector stakeholders’ participation in terms of monitoring, evaluating, and sustaining DA-funded programs and projects at the grassroots level, on the positive growth of basic commodities to ensure regional food security.

In 2021, RTD Madriaga relayed, that based on NEDA’s report, Northern Mindanao ranked first, second, and tenth, in terms of hog, corn, and rice production, respectively.

“Now more than ever, we are challenged by the pandemic and other unprecedented circumstances. As a result, farmers need to maximize available technologies, and if possible, generate new ones fitted to the present times,” DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado underscored.

RED Collado added that the government is banking on furthering farmers’ and fishers’ skills to hasten the modernization of the country’s agri sector.

Matters discussed, among others, include the regional policy agenda as a guide in identifying priority areas and proposed solutions to be addressed per sector.

Accordingly, the Council selected representatives among its members for the different sectors, ranging from rice, corn, fisheries and aquaculture, coffee and cacao, fruits and vegetables, climate change, environment and natural resources, agricultural and fisheries mechanization, poultry, livestock, and feed crops, large ruminants and feed crops, coconut, fiber, rubber, and international trade and export.

Also during the consultation, it was unanimously agreed by the members that RAFC 10 chair, Reynaldo M. Cabanao, will retain the chairmanship of the council for a year; while Mischelle F. Egama will serve as the RAFC 10 coordinator.

Further, updates and best practices in farming were likewise discussed for wider information dissemination.

Said blended consultative meeting was participated in by 27 AFC members from the regional, provincial, municipal/city, and highly urbanized cities across Region 10. # (JCAnito)