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While sustaining high yields and productivity levels, farmers and fisherfolk in Bohol should start thinking about marketing and processing in order to make farming/fishing a lucrative source of livelihood. 

Likewise, local political leaders must direct their support and resources towards value-adding in agricultural food production if only to push Bohol forward in its present stature as the food basket of the Central Visayas region. 

Such was the challenge given by Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap to Bohol’s agriculture sector in his keynote speech during the opening program of the Sandugo Agri-Fair last Friday held at the Bohol Agricultural Promotion Center. 

As if alluding to the theme of the agri-fair activity “Isangyaw ug ipasigarbo and produktong Bol-anon”, DA Secretary Yap stressed the importance of concentrating on specific agricultural products such as banana, mango, ubi kinampay, abalone and oyster production, among others, that have vast potentials for attracting investors in the processing industry and bring investments into the province.

He also extolled the overwhelming support given to the agriculture sector by the provincial government executives led by Governor Erico Aumentado and Vice-Governor Julius Cesar Herrera, which he stressed as very crucial in view of the fact that the national government through the
Department of Agriculture have also intensified its commitments to the province by concentrating its support on agri-infrastructure projects like repair and rehabilitation of irrigation facilities particularly communal irrigation systems, post-harvest facilities such as flatbed dryers and multi-purpose drying pavements, fishports, and farm-to-market roads in lieu of “soft” initiatives  such as seed and fertilizer subsidies for farmers — to help shield the domestic economy from the effects of the global financial crisis.  These projects were implemented under the Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP) of Pres. Gloria Arroyo wherein DA Secretary Arthur Yap is the designated CLEEP Cabinet Steward for the province of Bohol.

Joining DA Secretary Arthur Yap in the opening program and ribbon cutting ceremonies of the agriculture trade and exhibits were Vice-Governor Julius Cesar Herrera, DA 7 Regional Executive Director Ric Oblena, NIA 7 Regional Manager Modesto Membreve, DA 7 Regional Technical Director for Operations Angel Enriquez, Provincial Agriculturist Liza Quirog, Provincial Administrator Tomas Abapo, and Dr. Ronald Carating of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM).   

The month-long agri-fair and trade exhibits include participants from the 18 municipal local government units and 20 private sector entities.   

It is being coordinated by the provincial government through the Provincial Agriculture Office headed by Liza Quirog with the Agricultural Training Institute of Region 7, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Trade and Industry, Philippine Carabao Center, SEARICE, Department of Education, BISAD, FISH Philippines, Department of Agrarian Reform, LIFE Foundation, PALM Inc., Philippine Coconut Authority, PHILSTARCH, Marcela Farms, PAFC-Bohol, the City Government of Tagbilaran, and DA-RFU 7 and its line agencies and bureaus.

Later in the day, DA Secretary Yap was joined by DA regional officials and Mayor Telesforo Balagosa and all Barangay Chairmen and elected officials during the ceremonial turnover of the farm-to-market road projects in the eighteen barangays of Lila town amounting to 3.6 million pesos. 

Each barangay received P 200,000 pesos worth of Farm-to-Market road projects wherein the local government unit has to counterpart 10 percent of the total project cost.   

The FMR is one of the projects under CLEEP which is also intended to generate emergency local employment at the barangay or municipal level and fuel the creation of other livelihood opportunities (GDagala, DA-RFU 7).

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