A farmer leader here urged the local government to formulate a comprehensive agricultural plan to ensure food security for the city.
Nick Galope, chair of the Davao City Provincial Agrarian Reform Coordinating Committee, also called on officials not to indiscriminately approve applications for land conversion to protect agricultural land.
Galope raised the challenge to the city government for fear that the city may cease to be food supplier sans the comprehensive agricultural plan, and with the upsurge of land conversions from agricultural lands to housing subdivisions.
“What will be left of our city’s agricultural lands?” he asked in the vernacular, saying that for the last 20 years he has witnessed the rapid conversions of lands in the city.
He said that production of primary crops such as coconut, corn, banana and rice might decline due to the sprouting of housing villages.
Galope brought up his concern for food security during a recent forum on the accomplishments and plans of the Provincial Agrarian Reform Office of Davao City until 2014.
In the forum, Galope also expressed worries over the state of farmers, particularly the agrarian reform beneficiaries when the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension and Reforms (CARPER) ends in 2014.
“If the time comes when the program ends, would the local government take the responsibility of helping the farmers?” he asked, urging local officials present at the forum to continue assisting farmers even without the agrarian reform program.
Galope represents the farm workers sector, which raises major crops, in the PARCCOM whose function is to coordinate and monitor the implementation of the CARP in each province in the country.
Meanwhile, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte urged fellow officials of the local government, the DAR and the Department of Agriculture to continue assisting Davao City-based farmers.
The mayor cited assistance in the form of training and capacity building activities, enhanced access to financial assistance and rehabilitation or creation of more farm-to-market roads.
“Let us use this forum to empower our farmers and to give them informed choices, so that we can achieve our mutual desire for sustainable rural development,” Duterte said in her message delivered by her representative during the CARPER.
While acknowledging that the implementation of CARPER “remains an uphill climb”, Duterte called for unity among government officials, saying that “we are answerable to those who till the land, those by whose blood and sweat this country continues to feed its people.”
DARPO Davao City legal division chief Atty. Glenn Pobre reported that from January to September this year, the city acquired 63 hectares in its land and acquisition program, for 59 agrarian reform beneficiaries.
Pobre said the figure represents 11 percent of the total target of 563 hectares for 2011. He added that more has to be accomplished for the following years until 2014. [PIA-11/Carina L. Cayon]
