The poor coastal town of Ilog, one of the areas in Negros Occidental’s CHICKS region – Candoni, Hinobaan, Ilog, Cauayan, Kabankalan, Sipalay – which is reputed to be a stronghold of Communist insurgents will be the venue of the first of two Biyaheng Bukid sorties which the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries will stage on Sept. 28.
In the afternoon of the same day, Biyaheng Bukid will move to another multi-sectoral forum for agriculture and fisheries stakeholders in Bago City.
This will be followed by the Sugar Industry Stakeholders Forum to be held in Bacolod City the following day, Sept. 29, an event which has long been awaited by the stakeholders, especially with the recent announcement of President Rody Duterte that he was mulling the abolition of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
In the two Biyaheng Bukid sorties, the DAF leadership will hear out the concerns and problems of farmers and fishermen and respond to requests made.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region 6 under Director Remia Aparri is expected to distribute fiberglass fishing boats and other equipment to fishermen while the Agriculture Regional Office 6 under Director Remelyn Recoter will release farm equipment and other interventions to farmers.
In the two Biyaheng Bukid sorties, the DAF leadership will hear out the concerns and problems of farmers and fishermen and respond to requeshts made.
The Sugar Industry Stakeholders Forum which will be held in Bacolod City on the second day of the two-day engagement is expected to discuss the problems confronting the sugar industry.
Low prices of sugar, slow delivery of interventions and the recent announcement by President Duterte that he was considering the abolition of the SRA are expected to be the top concerns which will be discussed.
The Agriculture Department which supervises the SRA is expected to draw out inputs from the stakeholders for the crafting of a 5-year Sugar Industry Development Road Map which will steer the industry though the tough times it is facing today.
(Maps of Ilog and Bago City and photos of sugar farms and workers downloaded from public websites.)
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