Agri-Industrialization eyed in Davao’s future

The negative effects of climate change in the world’s agricultural production has opened the eyes of decision makers and lawmakers to the importance of finding ways to improve agricultural production, and one of the methods being eyed is the industrialization of agriculture.
“Agri-industrialization can be achieved through modernized farm production which requires the use of science and technology and the use of technical infrastructures for agriculture,” Ednar Dayanghirang said.
Dayanghirang, vice president of Davao City Agriculture Development Board, is set to submit a proposal to the City Council and to the City of Davao, that will help the city achieve agri-industrialization and sustainable agriculture development.
The proposed project is dubbed “Updating and Formulating a Sustainable Agricultural Development Plan for Davao City for 2010-2030”, and will involve the participation of various agencies, including the City Planning and Development Office, the business sector, City Agriculture Office, City Veterinary Office, CENRO, Department of Agriculture, and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources among others.
Dayanghirang said the city’s 1996-2021 Comprehensive Development Plan is considered outdated considering that it was passed 12 years ago. “There are considerable changes that have occurred in the past twelve years which might have changed the city’s economic landscape, so there is a need to adjust the plan to these changes,” he said.
He said the city’s population was pegged at only 1,000,840 in 1995 but this has increased by 2.52% to a total population of 1,363,337 in 2007. Even the city’s urban population has substantially increased from 604,508 in 1990 to about 785,668 in 2007.
“Population increase will require the allocation of more land for residential, commercial and industrial purposes and this is expected to reduce the area that was once devoted to agricultural production,” he said.
Dayanghirang said the city is an ideal location for agri-based industries due to its vast marine and land resources. In fact, he added, he city’s production of agricultural products like coconut, palay, corn and fruits, excluding bananas, has contributed 4.08% to the aggregate production of the country.
The city had been classified as an agricultural area because of the vast areas of land that can be devoted to agricultural production. At least 40.23% or 98,151 hectares of the city’s total land area was devoted to agriculture in 1996.
But while the city’s Development Plan acknowledges the need to steer the city towards agricultural development, there is a need to shift from purely agricultural development to agri-industrial development.
“With modernized methods of farming, Davao City’s agricultural sector can improve its production methods and increase its total production,” he said. There is also a need to shift from extractive-based activities to process-oriented and value-added activities, he added.
Dayanghirang said the project aims to “assess and update the agricultural development plan of the city based on its performance in the past 12 years.” The city’s agriculture sector should make some adjustments, considering important factors like the rapid urbanization of the city, global warming and climate change.
Once approved, he said, they will conduct and assessment of the agricultural production potentials and constraints in the city as well as the domestic and foreign markets for fresh and processed agricultural products in the city, in view of these factors.