President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, March 7, graced several events of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Malacañan.
The President witnessed the signing of the Philippine Cacao and Coffee Industry Roadmaps, which will serve as guides for all industry stakeholders towards optimal realization of the targets set for 2017 to 2022.
The roadmaps are vital instruments to provide direction to the concerned stakeholders towards sustainable and globally competitive Philippine cacao and coffee industries, which are seen to contribute in achieving food security and poverty alleviation.
The President also witnessed the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Philippine Rubber Farmers Association (PRFA), Phoenix Petroleum, and DA-Philippine Rubber Research Institute (DA-PRRI) on Cooperation Toward Putting Up Investment for Pilipinas Agila Tyre Factory.
The agreement formalizes the cooperation between PRFA, Phoenix Petroleum and DA-PRRI in attracting the necessary investments for putting up a rubber tyre factory that is targetted to produce four million passenger tyres in a year.
The Chief Executive then led the awarding ceremony of the first Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan, a nationwide search for outstanding coastal communities in the country, which is implemented by the Department of Agriculture through Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
Proclaimed as winners were Cortes, Surigao del Sur as grand winner; Palompon, Leyte as first runner-up; and Calatagan, Batangas as second runner-up.
Meanwhile, during the turnover of the processing and post-harvest facilities for the commercial production of pineapple fibers, the Chief Executive led in the awarding of certificates to farmer beneficiaries of multi-fiber decorticating machine, mechanical dryer, and baling machine.
The recipients of the agricultural machineries were Adventurers Multipurpose Cooperative of Polomolok, South Cotabato, T’boli Farm Growers Multipurpose Cooperative of Tiboli, South Cotabato, Shalom Fiber Growers Association of Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon; Labo Progressive Multipurpose Cooperative of Labo, Camarines Norte; and Maduvika Farmer’s Multipurpose Cooperative of Sta. Ana, Cagayan.
During the event, the Chief Executive received token shoes made from Piñatex or pineapple fiber.
He also led the launching of Farmhelp Mobile Application, which allows users to report all types of concerns to the government.
Duterte also witnessed the presentation of Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture and Launching and Testing of Interactive AMIA and National Color Coded Agricultural Guide Map.
This will allow farmers to identify what type of crops can be planted in a certain area.
During the presentation, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the map will “make farming easy”, without the unproductive “guessing game.”###PND
