AGRICULTURE

PASSING OF THE TORCH. Outgoing Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala and Incoming Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol shake hands after the presentation of the transition report of the Department of Agriculture on June 8, 2016. The report, which highlights the major accomplishments of the DA for the last six years shall serve as a handbook and guide for the incoming administration. Sec. Piñol may opt to use this, as there have been successful endeavor that he may want to replicate or continue,” Alcala stressed.

KIDAPAWAN CITY -– Incoming Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol is set to push for communal irrigation, instead of constructing big dams, to ensure increase in rice production.Pinol will start holding office on June 30.One of the things he would prioritize doing in his first 100 days in office is to check all the irrigation facilities in the country. Yes, we do have irrigation facilities.But look, they are already silted.

KIDAPAWAN CITY – The city’s chief executive here intends to distribute thousands of sacks of rice from the Davao City government to drought-affected residents regardless if they joined the farmers’ rally on April 1 that led to a violent dispersal.Mayor Joseph Evangelista said the distribution, which started on Friday, was spearheaded by staff of the City Social Welfare and Development, Red Cross, and workers of each barangay.He said that each drought-hit household will receive seven kilos of 7-Tonner rice from the Davao City and five kilos of National Food Authority rice from the DSWD.

MAGPET, North Cotabato -- More drought-stricken farmers on Monday benefited from the continuing relief interventions by the North Cotabato provincial government.At least 103 more peasants from far-flung areas in North Cotabato’s hinterland Makilala and Magpet towns each received piglets and pairs of goats for breeding purposes, supplied by the office of Gov.

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- At least 198,760 peasant families in Kidapawan City and in 11 North Cotabato towns benefited from the continuing rice dispersal operation of the provincial government since April.Vergelita Guilaran, provincial social welfare officer, said at 19,883 bags of rice had been dispersed to peasant families in the affected towns in continuing relief operations that started in April 25.The provincial government’s relief missions were directly supervised and properly documented by the North Cotabato chapter of the Philippine Red Cross.Employees of the provincial media office said th

COTABATO CITY– Recognition events across the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) highlighted this year’s celebration of Farmers and Fisherfolks’ Month as well as the 25thDevolution Anniversary of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF-ARMM),officials said today.Alexander Alonto, DAF-ARMM Secretary, said the celebration was aimed at recognizing and honoring farmers and fisherfolks for their valuable contribution to the economy.ARMM’s economic output is anchored on resource-based activities such as agriculture, aquaculture, fishery and forestry.

Piñol vows to turn impoverished Samar into ‘major food producer’By Ali G. MacabalangCOTABATO CITY – Incoming Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Manny” Piñol has assured to intensify government interventions in the countryside, and turn poor provinces like Samar into optimal productivity.Piñol made the assurance after spending over the weekend a leg of his current biyaheng bukid” in the Samar region, which he tagged as an island of ironies” stemming allegedly from its local government units’ twisted mindset.” I saw poverty along the way.

COTABATO CITY -- He could wear many hats, but deep in his heart he is an agriculturist.The multi-talented Emmanuel Piñol, appointed agriculture secretary by President-elect Rodrigo R.

KORONADAL CITY -- After the success of the
implementation of the Sikat Saka Program for Rice, the Department of
Agriculture Region 12 launched the Sikat Saka II or Sikat Saka for Corn through
a Briefing and Credit Worthiness Seminar held in Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat,
May 12, 2016.

COTABATO CITY – Local executives in Central Mindanao gave incoming President Rodrigo Duterte the proverbial two thumbs up” for selecting former North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Piñol to become his agriculture secretary.Leading broadcast outfits in Southern Mindanao, among them the popular Notre Dame Broadcasting Corporation, which has five Catholic stations scattered in the region, has been announcing Duterte’s decision since Monday. This is for us something so positive.