Balita-dot-ph, February 8, 2011 11:49 am

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Feb. 7 – Agriculture officials in Region 12 or Southwestern Mindanao vowed to push for the full implementation this year of the national government’s agriculture and fishery modernization programs in the region.

Amalia Jayag-Datukan, newly-designated Department of Agriculture (DA)-Region 12 director, gave such commitment as she reiterated the government’s efforts to pursue stronger partnerships with the private and public sector and implement participatory management in a bid to improve its delivery of various services.
“We’ll implement initiatives and map out strategies to meet our desired changes and development in the agriculture sector in region,” Datukan said.

She said they will prioritize programs that will help the region achieve food security and self-sufficiency within the next two years.

Datukan said among these initiatives is the Agri Pinoy program, which focuses on the full implementation of Republic Act 8345 or the Agriculture and Fishery Modernization Act.

She said Agri Pinoy is not just a flagship program but a commitment to “a broad-based agricultural growth and development towards food security and self-sufficiency, sustainable agriculture and fishery, natural resources management and local development.”

The DA official instructed her team to conduct direct consultations with farmers and various local stakeholders to make sure that will have “full grasp of the needs of the farmers and bring back their trust to DA’s programs.”
She said they will specifically coordinate regularly with local government units, line agencies and their local partner-institutions.

Pursuing the national government’s mandate to link up government programs with private initiatives, Datukan said they build up their tie-ups with agricultural and fishery councils as well as commodity groups or associations within the region.

Datukan said DA-12 will also expand the implementation of its organic farming program in the region as part of Agriculture Secretary Proseso Alcala’s thrust to boost natural agricultural farming practices.

(PNA)scs/LAP/AVE/AC/

Source: DA-12 pushes full implementation of agri, fishery modernization programs