DA partners with 3 private firms for urban agriculture projects

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has partnered with three private companies to scale up the implementation of the Urban and Peri Urban Agriculture Program in the country.

In a statement yesterday, Agriculture Secretary William Dar signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Urban Farmers Sustainability Concepts Organization Inc., the Urban Greens and the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction.

“The agreement encourages sustainable crop production, through the establishment of more community gardens; and pushes for safe, available, accessible, and affordable foods to households and communities,” the DA said.

Under the MOA, DA, together with the Bureau of Plant Industry will provide starter kits, which include seeds of common vegetables suited in the area, soil, and polyethylene bags, as well as technical assistance and urban agriculture modules for the individual or household beneficiary and establishment.

It will also utilize the barangay, community, school, university, and public office gardens as venues for hands-on training to showcase various urban agriculture techniques.

“These areas will likewise serve as community gene banks to sustain their own production and planting materials for their constituents,” the DA said.

One of the DA’s latest partners is Urban Farmers Sustainability Concepts Organization Inc. of Bel-Air in Makati City, which is constructing a community farm right at the heart of the Bonifacio Global City (BGC) to support the poor communities nearby.

The company’s proposal recently won first place at the #impaktwise Awards initiated by the Copenhagen Business School in Denmark for its innovative and realistic solutions that are expected to bring in huge benefits for the local residents.

“We believe that urban agriculture has the potential and very substantial contribution in ensuring food security in our country, much more in Metro Manila,” Dar said.

He said farmers should consolidate and organize to maximize interventions from the government.

“Through consolidation, farmers will have better leverage in the prices of their produce and gain economies-of-scale,“ Dar said.

“We will continue to work with you and give guidance every step of the way. We know that you are professional and you have that tenacity and passion to put up and use up technologies with the best you could. It is very important to have young professionals like you in this program,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Urban Greens, an indoor farm founded in 2016 and located in Makati City, aims to revolutionize the food systems by producing cleaner, fresher and smarter greens through the hydroponic system.

“This is an important investment from your end. I know that you have that foresight to really be commercially sustainable and to bring your produce to the Metro Manila markets. We expect commercial investors like you to really think big and do big,” Dar said.

The agri chief said the DA, the Board of Investments and Department of Trade and Industry have been discussing ways to provide agricultural investors incentives, including tax holidays for two to five years through the strategic investment priorities plan.

Moreover, the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), a non-profit organization that works with over 50 countries, aims to build economic opportunities for rural people by making them self-sufficient and by improving their health, education, and environment by envisioning an environment of equity, justice, and peace.

“We believe in the capacity of IIRR and the objectives you are promoting through diversifying food systems which we are also embracing. I would like to believe that urban and peri urban agriculture will serve as key areas to develop and promote food sufficiency,” Dar said

The DA recently created the National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program (NUPAPO, in line with its push for urban agriculture as an intervention in achieving food security and providing alternative sources of livelihood.