MANILA, Philippines - The Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA)-Livestock Program of the Arroyo administration is the biggest producer and brings the biggest hope for farmers, especially in Mindanao, Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Constantino Jaraula said during the National Livestock Mid-Year Performance Review held at the Pearlmont Inn this week.
Participated in by delegates from Region 1 to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao for the purpose of evaluating the performance of the livestock program, the workshop dealt with the successes and failures of the livestock industry, the factors – both physical and climatic – that influenced them, and the various experiences of farmers in the field, said Department of Agriculture-Region 10 director Lealyn Ramos.
Jaraula cited the tremendous advantage of upgrading the stock of animals so that farmers would double or triple their income from the same land area and with the same effort, with practically the same investment.
But it is imperative that the participants understand the varying effects of global warming and climate change, the interplay of hotter days and frequent rains, all impacting on the health and growth of livestock as well as on natural feeds for them in the farm, Jaraula, a farmer and rancher himself, said.
The mayor of Cagayan de Oro, a premier southern city which boasts of the fastest and highest economic growth percentage today, said global warming would result in less land as so much of it would be inundated by sea water, thus the need to increase production and yield in the same area.
Jaraula said it is comforting and reassuring that the Arroyo administration has devoted as much to agricultural development, especially in Mindanao, as this would greatly contribute toward regaining the confidence and faith of the people in the government and help build a culture of peace.