KEANU AEBRAMH G. COSTALES
MAGALANG, Pampanga – The Department of Agriculture (DA) is eyeing for 2% growth in the agriculture sector for the first quarter of 2020.
So said DA Secretary William Dar shared recently during the 5th Founding Anniversary of Pampanga State Agricultural University (PSAU) in this town as he encouraged various partners and stakeholders to work closely with the department so as to surpass the agriculture growth of 0.7% in the same period last year.
Citing 2019 reports from the Philippine Statistics Authority which showed 0.7% growth of agriculture, DA Secretary Dar said, “The growth of agriculture, while it was not as good as we would like it to be, was still under positive growth.”
“This 2020, we’ll be much better from 0.7% in 2019, targeting 2% of agriculture sector, if we do it together,” he expressed.
“Tayo ay gumawa pa ng iba’t ibang hakbang upang maiangat natin ang sektor ng agrikultura, lalo na ang mga magsasaka’t mangingisda,” he furthered.
As an initial step to achieve the 2% target growth, the department partnered with PSAU, a prominent agricultural university in the region.
The department, alongside other partner agencies and bureaus, inaugurated new facilities in the university which aim to boost the agriculture sector in the province as well as the region.
The PSAU Radio Station DWEE 107.1 FM was launched to serve as the mouthpiece for development so that farmers and fishers around Pampanga and the region will continuously be given information to increase their productivity levels in their locality.
The Animal Disease Diagnostics and Research Facility, a Php 5-million project of DA, Bureau of Agricultural Research and Bureau of Animal Industry, was built to elevate knowledge about animal diseases and to serve as common center in employing preventive measures for disease occurrences. This facility contains DNA and RNA laboratories, necropsy room, and autoclave room among others.
Third, the Bureau of Agricultural Research funded the Satellite Livestock Breeding Center designed to help animal farmers through the provision of improved animal science research laboratory facility and breeding stocks among others. Likewise, the Bureau of Animal Industry funded a collaborative program with the university for the benefit of adopt-barangay extension modalities in Pampanga.
Dar also said the DA Region III also collaborated with the university in the form of projects of rice, farm machinery, and the like, amounting to Php 10 million annually.
“That is the kind of partnership we want to nurture and cultivate with universities because the department cannot do everything alone,” Dar furthered.
