Cebu province to increase agri budget to P34.6M

THE Cebu provincial government will double its budget for the agriculture sector next year.

This developed after supertyphoon Yolanda destroyed agricultural lands in at least 14 municipalities in northern Cebu.

Gov. Hilario Davide III has already approved the increased budget from only P19.8 million this year to P34.6 million next year, said Dr. Roldan Sarajena, Provincial Agriculture Office officer-in-charge, during the opening of the 5th Agri-Aqua Expo at SM City Cebu Trade Hall last Friday.

The allocation will be divided among six priority areas which are: training for farmers, a seed storage facility, in-land fishery, farm mechanization program, agricultural inputs, and agri-fishery insurance.

“The Farmer Scientist Training Program (FSTP) will include training and establishment of technology trials on the field for farmers to really see and experience the new technologies. We are also looking at a seed storage facility in Tinaan, Naga because right now we are very dependent on seeds we source from Mindanao,” said Sarajena.

The provincial agriculture office will also train seed producers in Cebu to produce seeds of staple crops like corn and rice to support the local demand.

In-land fisheries will be established in mountain barangays in the province that will produce tilapia.

“For our Farm Mechanization Program, we will be purchasing equipment like corn mill, planters, seeders and multipurpose drying pavement. Agricultural inputs like fertilizers will also be purchased and to really ensure that our farmers can recover from any devastation like what happened recently with Yolanda, we will continue our Agri-fishery insurance for the farmers,” he said.

The insurance will cover agricultural lands, crops, support equipment like motor boats for the fishermen as well as accidental dismemberment security scheme for farmers.

Yolanda

They are still assessing the total damage of typhoon Yolanda on the agricultural sector in the province, said Sarajena.

“Initially we have eight LGUs (local government units) partially damaged and about 14 badly hit. We have already made proposals to the governor (Hilario Davide III) for rehabilitation programs in these areas,” said Sarajena.

Rehabilitation programs include purchasing of seeds for fast yielding crops like upland kangkong, okra and string beans so that farmers can grow them fast and sell them to earn right away.

They will also be purchasing sweet potato cuttings, squash seeds, peanut and fruit tree inputs including mango, guyabano, jackfruit and banana suckers.