AGRI UPDATES

Integrated farming in Ilocos Sur
FREDDIE LAZARO

VIGAN CITY — Ilocos Sur Gov. Deogracias Victor "DV" B. Savellano has started a program to made local farmers adapt integrated farming system to maximize land use in the province and promote self-sufficiency among farmers.

It is also in line with the drive to create jobs and generate more income. This, after he launched a campaign for massive planting of high-value crops, such as hybrid corn, tomato, cacao, coffee, cassava, soy beans, sorghums, sunflowers, black beans, mongo, peanut and green peas, in marginal areas.

The governor is likewise promoting backyard raising of chicken and goat, among others. "We need to go "back to basic," and instead buying vegetables, meat, and fish, we better produce them," Savellano said.

The governor said that his agricultural program is giving priority to the rehabilitation and construction of irrigation systems, small water-impounding projects (SWIP), and distribution of water pumps that would provide sufficient water for the growing of crops.

"These water-impounding projects would also be utilized as fishponds for growing of tilapia and other fish," he said.

"On the marketing of the farm products, we are continuously looking outlets for the farmers to sell their products to enable them to earn higher income," he also said.

The governor noted that the integrated farming system will not only increase the farm production and income of the farmers, but will also solve the problems of lack of jobs, poverty, and malnutrition.

Through integrated farming, the biodiversity and ecological balance of the environment will likewise be maintained, he said. "With this farming system, I’m assuring that we will mitigate poverty in the province," he said.

"Our treasures are deposited in our soil, considering that our province is an agricultural area, and almost all of us depend on agriculture. What we need now is to be more industrious and patience to cultivate the land, applying the proper and new agricultural technologies, and we will provide the necessary support for the farmers," he said.

To have a show window of integrated farming system, Savellano and the Department of Agriculture forged a memorandum of agreement calling for the provincial government to take over a 16-hectare cotton experimental center in San Juan town.

The land will be turned into a demonstration farm for the planting of different kinds of vegetables which are the ingredients in the cooking of the "penakbet" dish. It will also be a demonstration farm for the application of modern agricultural technologies on tobacco and rice farming and growing of the 12 crops being promoted by the governor.

The following will be set up in the farm: Fishpond, green house, mini nursery, botanical garden, tree farm, livestock farm, mushroom farm, and a building where OTOP products of the province will be solved.

The demonstration farm will also be made as "agricultural tourism destination" in the province. Recently, the governor visited the 80–hectare model rice farm at Philrice, Muñoz City, Nueva Ecija. This inspired him to set up the demonstration farm in San Juan.