LEGAPI CITY (PIA)—Due to massive implementation of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Plant, Plant, Plant (PPP) program, the production of major high value crops in Bicol posted notable increase in the last six months.
These major high value crops include the pineapple, sweet potato, peanut, mungbean, commercial scale vegetables such as native pechay, squash, eggplant, tomato as well as string bean and pili nut.
Pineapple and sweet potato recorded the highest production growths with 13 percent and 1 percent increase respectively in the first semester of 2020.
DA stated that Bicol Region is the biggest contributor of sweet potato in the Philippines which production reaches 21.4 percent of the total output of the country in the first quarter and 29.1 percent of total production in the second quarter.
The bulk of sweet potato production in Bicol came from the province of Albay.
Meanwhile, DA also feported that the increased production of pineapple in the region is partly the result of the adoption of best practices in pineapple production from the series of researches conducted in the past years.
Under the High Value Crops Development Program (HVDP) of DA Bicol, the region established production facilities such as eight units of greenhouse given to eight vegetable grower organizations.
DA Bicol stated that the facilities can reduce 95 percent of pests and disease occurrence particularly in vegetables. It also provides a controlled environmental condition in terms of temperature, water and weeds which also promotes favorable growing condition for the crops.
Moreover, DA’s HVDP also distributed a total of 5,342 kilos of assorted vegetable seeds, 2,767 pieces garden tools, and 949 bags fertilizers to the farmers in the region from January to July 30, 2020.
DA Bicol stated that the production growth were also attributed to the combined efforts of farmers, local government units, institutions and other government agencies who provided direct support to the high value crops farmers. (PIA5/CEB/ LPG-DA RAFIS 5/ DA Bicol HVCDP)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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