DA inks an agreement to establish community gardens in Rosario, Cavite and more

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has inked an agreement to establish community gardens with the municipality of Rosario, Cavite.

The project is a part of the DA’s Urban Agriculture (UA) and Plant Plant Plant Programs and aims to establish vegetable gardens in pockets of available land and diversify the sources of livelihood in urban communities.

Aside from strengthening food accessibility and availability, the project also highlights the role of women in the community through the wives of its fishermen.

“As initial assistance, containerized gardening and hydroponics set-up were provided and training will also be conducted to capacitate the beneficiaries,” said the DA.

UA national director and concurrent assistant director of the Bureau of Plant Industry Gerald Glenn Panganiban noted that the program is a collaboration between the DA and LGUs.

“We can’t do it alone. We hope you’ll continue to support us,” said Panganiban.

Agriculture Undersecretary Evelyn Laviña said the pandemic is an eye-opener as it helped the department prioritize and identify key interventions.

Almost ₱700,000 agriculture and fishery interventions from the DA-Regional Field Office IVA and DA-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources were awarded to representatives of more than 200 beneficiaries for five target sites.

These include multi-tiller, grass cutter, vermicast, blue plastic drums, seedling trays, garden tools, plastic mulch, calamansi trees, papaya seedlings, assorted vegetable seeds, seedling bags, bottom set fillet sets, and materials to construct four fiberglass bancas.

The DA will also link their products to export markets through the DA-Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service.

In early May, the DA had already established 36 community gardens in urban areas across the country through its urban agriculture program and is aiming to develop 85 more community gardens under the program.

“What we want to achieve under the Urban Agriculture program is that our countrymen can plant in their backyards so that they will have access to food since there are a lot of limitations during this pandemic,” said Panganiban.

SOURCE: Phil Star