MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) has released P80 million-worth of farm inputs to the Polillo Group of Islands in Quezon to enable farmers and fisherfolk to increase their incomes.
The area covers the towns of Polillo, Jomalig, Patnanungan, Burdeos, and Panukulan.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said the assistance would enable the towns to achieve sufficiency in rice, basic food staples and fisheries products.
The DA, through its Region 4-A (Calabarzon) would assist the five towns in crafting a medium-term agriculture and fisheries development plan or roadmap for achieving food sufficiency.
“We need to expand the area planted to rice in each of the barangays in Polillo group of islands in line with the Aquino government’s goal to achieve sufficiency in rice by end of 2013,†said Alcala.
He urged Polillian farmers to coordinate with the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) to locate springs that could be tapped as sources of irrigation, and establishment of small water impounding projects (SWIPs).