DA: Eat root crops as rice alternative

“PRODUCE root crops and eat them as alternative to rice.”

Because of the increasing demand for rice throughout the country, the Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) emphasized this during an appreciation course on Alternative Staple Food Production held at the Provincial Agriculturist Office (PAO) Conference Hall in Larena, Siquijor.

The seminar, attended by 30 farmers and agricultural extension workers, introduced high-value crops such as cassava (kamoteng kahoy), taro (gabi), yam (ube), sweet potato (kamote), and indigenous crops such as intoxicating yam (kolot) and nipa tree (saksak) as substitute food staples when rice is not available.

Farmers Ma. Gracia Soliva-Pungay and Dr. Roberto Castro of ATI-7, Gay Therese Bucol and Narciso Omandam of PLGU and Fedelita Dagumo and Martina Inapan were the speakers during the course.

Pungay, project officer of root crops of DA-ATI-7, said the DA has formulated the Philippine Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap (FSSR) that aims rice self-sufficiency for the country by 2013.

Earlier, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said Filipinos should diversify their diet to include more vegetables and tubers and root crops to ease the pressure on rice.