DA bares major project to boost food production in city’s 70 villages

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(PNA), FFC/PGL/MARK SHERWIN MIRASOL-OJT/CBF

ILOILO CITY, April 26 (PNA) -- Seventy barangays of this city have been selected as recipients of the Integrated Food Production Project of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Conceptualized to step up food production and provide alternate source of income, the project is dedicated to people living within metro Iloilo to encourage them to grow crops in the confines of the urban landscape.

From the 70 barangays, 2,000 households were chosen based on the economic standing and nutritional status as monitored by the City Nutrition Council.

Each barangay will have a designated leader that will report the progress of their respective location to the DA. The leaders will be given an incentive of PHP500 per month for their services and labor.

Over three million seeds are ready to be distributed to the barangays and eventually the households. The seeds come from a variety of vegetables that are easy to cultivate and grow.

While there are very few arable land fit for growing crops in the city, the DA has prepared recycled materials such as plastic water containers to be used as container for the seedling and supply them with soil medium.

The soil medium will be harvested in Calajunan, Manduriao where it will be mixed with organic fertilizer and compost coming from various sources such as pig farms, poultry houses and composting facilities.

One of the main concerns of this project is the availability of water since Iloilo City is suffering from recurring water shortage. They are advised the maximum use of water in their households, reused water from their laundry, washing the dishes and the sort.

Training for project already began last November but the initiation of the project is currently put on hold because of the severe effects of El Nino phenomenon said Romulo Pangantihon, agricultural technologist from the City Agricultural Office.