TO ensure food security in the Davao City, the City Agriculturist’s Office (CAgrO) said it will continue to strengthen its programs that provide free planting materials to farmers.
From January to December 2023, a total of 220,829 seedlings of durian, cacao, coffee, lanzones, rambutan, and other fruit-bearing trees produced in its Central Farm Nursery were distributed to 9,837 Dabawenyo farmers.
A total 6,636 vegetable seedlings from the office’s Marfori Garden were given to organic practitioners, while 137 kilograms of vegetable seeds from the Department of Agriculture were dispersed to 20 farmers’ association in the city which benefitted over 500 famers.
From its tissue-culture laboratory, the CAgrO distributed a total of 54,150 plantlets of abaca, lakatan, and cardava. A total of 12,896 were abaca plantlets given to abaca farmers in Paquibato and Marilog.
Aside from planting materials, the office also continues to distribute Trichocards parasitoid wasps to promote a more organic method of pest control in Davao City farms. In 2023, the office distributed 163,000 trichocards to 1,113 farmers. A total of 1,179.90 kilograms of vermicast were also distributed to organic practitioners in the city.
CAgrO Head Edgardo Haspe said their office will continue to produce and distribute planting materials, while also focusing on expanding the production of abaca plantlets for farmers who were affected by the proliferation of the substandard Daratex abaca variety early last year.
“Our expansion will focus on Abaca so basically we will be concentrating on this program as our other productions remain steady,” said Haspe.
“Right now we have six nurseries in Tapak so we will add more in another barangay. We also plan to have four more nurseries in Marilog,” he added. CIO
