DA vows to boost agricultural programs in Pangasinan

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture (DA) vowed to boost Pangasinan’s food production programs, specifically with the construction of more irrigation systems and propagation of certified palay seeds, in line with its overall thrust to stabilize the country’s food supply by 2013.

This developed during a visit here by Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala to attend a dialogue on food production at the Capitol Resort Hotel last Friday.

Gov. Amado Espino Jr. thanked the national government for its efforts to implement innovative agricultural programs, adding that Pangasinan has set its sights on further improving the agricultural sector in terms of rice sufficiency.

Espino, however, said the province needs the support of the national government, specifically on irrigation systems.

Espino said Pangasinan will remain an agricultural province in the next 20 years because of lack of support facilities to industrialize the province.

He said the provincial government continues to seek ways to address the plight of marginal farmers by strengthening seed production to further spur agricultural development.

The provincial government has distributed certified seeds to farmers all over the province in its effort to empower small and marginal farmers to become self-sufficient.

To attain self-sufficiency, Espino said the province intends to fully support the national government’s agricultural thrust by producing high-quality certified seeds for distribution to local farmers.

The provincial government, in collaboration with the Abono party-list group and the DA, aims to produce 8,750 bags of certified seeds to be made available to farmers during the main cropping in 2012.

Alcala lauded the province’s initiatives as he revealed that the national government has finished the agriculture roadmaps specifically designed for the rice, corn and livestock programs.

Funds for various agricultural programs, he said, are already being prepared, adding that the budget was frontloaded to finance different countrywide irrigation pro­jects for 2012.

Also raised during the dialogue were the development of hatcheries and the proposed setting up of a trading center (bagsakan market) in Urdaneta City.