The Department of Agriculture (DA) Mimaropa is advocating the use of modern and advanced technologies among farmers and fishermen in the region to boost their production.
During the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum held in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro on June 18, DA Mimaropa Regional Executive Director Christopher R. Bañas emphasized that the agency aims to ensure food security by increasing production and providing affordable food in the region.
The goal is to develop the agriculture and fisheries sectors into prosperous industries where farmers, fishermen, and related entrepreneurs can secure stable incomes.
With the aid of modern technologies, Bañas reported that in 2023, some 140,350 hectares of rice fields in Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, and Palawan were planted with hybrid rice. This led to an increase in rice yield in the region to 1.2 metric tons per hectare in 2023.
Additionally, Bañas noted that 1,625 hectares of land in the region were planted with hybrid corn provided by the DA, resulting in a yield increase to 4.71 metric tons per hectare last year, compared to 4.48 metric tons per hectare in 2022.
Bañas also highlighted that modern technologies contributed to the increased yield of other high-value crops like onions, which saw production reach over 50,000 metric tons in the third quarter of 2023, achieving an 879 percent sufficiency level.
According to the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization, an attached agency of DA, the region’s mechanization level has now reached 2.2 horsepower per hectare.
To sustain the continuous increase in production, Bañas said that the distribution of machinery such as tractors, corn mills, and other equipment will continue, with 537 units already distributed across the region.
Additionally, they have established 211 farm-production and post-harvest facilities and 96 farm-to-market roads through PRDP projects.
Despite the significant progress, Bañas acknowledged that there is still much work to be done to support farmers and fishermen.
“These are just some of the achievements of the department in the Mimaropa region. We recognize that there is still much to be done to assist our farmers and fishermen,” Bañas said.
