DA Caraga Distributes Corn Seeds for Backyard Gardening
BUTUAN CITY, April 23 — Securing food is everybody’s concern.
Aside from ensuring peace security, Caraga Region’s army personnel are now engaged in food security mission.
In support of their endeavor, the Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga turned-over vegetable and corn seeds recently at 52nd Engineer (Kaayadan) Brigade, Philippine Army, Patin- ay, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur.
Lt. Col. Rodel Pangilinan, commanding officer of the 544th Engineer (Pioneers) Battalion accepted the seeds for their garden inside the camp handed-over by DA Caraga through Regional Technical Director Rebecca Atega with program coordinators Marco Antonio Morido and Melody Guimary of High-Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) and Corn Program, respectively.
DA Caraga will also turn-over corn seeds to the 402nd Brigade at Bancasi, Butuan City and will be conducting a briefing on corn, cassava, and vegetable production for the army personnel.
Guimary said that aside from the army, the DA corn program will also allocate seeds for the civilian households who are willing to plant corn in their backyard.
“We have remaining seeds from our regular seed support distribution early this year. We will repack them into half kilos each for those willing to plant corn,” Guimary said.
The half kilos corn seed is good enough to at least 200 square meters lot area or it may be used also as an intercropped to vegetables.
She said that based on the remaining stocks inventory, they may able to distribute soon of up to 700 packs of .5 kilo corn seeds.
“Our seed household distribution is part of our support of the Plant Plant Plant Program under the Ahon Lahat Pagkaing Sapat Kontra COVID-19 (ALPAS COVID-19),” Guimary explained.
Aside from seed distribution for households, DA Caraga’s corn program is also proposing a reprogramming of the P7.5 M budget for food production support amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Once duly approved, the fund will be used for additional corn seed procurement including pesticides and production of bio-control agents,” Guimary said.
Secretary William Dar appealed to the public that while staying at home due to Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), they will utilize their time for productive activities such as urban gardening to ensure a steady supply of food for the family. (Aurelius P. Arais, DA Caraga/PIA Caraga)
source https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1039732