Roadmap to increase food production in Eastern Samar underway

By ALICE NICART
September 6, 2010

BORONGAN, Samar  –  The Agriculture department of the Eastern Samar province is bent to raise  production, be it in the farm or in the marine resource.

Guided by an Integrated Agricultural Plan, the team headed by San Julian Mayor George Erroba seeks to increase productivity in the crop, livestock and fishery sector through modern production technologies.

In a radio interview, Jody Paano of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist mentioned that the Provincial Plan has major components of the Integrated Plan which are: Agricultural Modernization, Land Reform, Rural Infrastructure and Post Harvest Facilities, Marketing and Credit, Education and Capability Training, Policy Prescription and Agro-Echo Tourism Development.

Paano added that the Plan is a by-product of a series of studies which involved farmers and the municipal agricultural officers as respondents.

Six clusters are expected to focus specific productions in accordance to the availability or abundance of specific resources, the Agriculturist reported.

The Guiuan cluster for instance which covers Salcedo and Mercedes is expected to focus on fish production and other fish products.  Oras which covers Jipapad, San Policarpo and Arteche so with Can-avid cluster (Dolores, Maslog and Taft) are expected to raise farm products.  Borongan cluster (Sulat, San Julian and Maydolong) will focus on echo-tourism.  Other clusters are Hernani (Balangkayan, LLorente and McArthur; Giporlos (Quinapondan, Lawaan and Balangiga).

The Focus Group Discussion (FGD) also confirmed the farmers’ clamor since time immemorial for irrigation and other water source.

“Majority of our farmers depend on the rain for their rice plantations, that is why we can hardly meet the province’s demand for this staple food,” Paano said.