Environmental Farming! Hass In Cotabato Hilands; Eco-Friendly Agriculture

Two days ago, I brought to Sitio Dulao, Barangay Dado, Alamada 60 seedlings of the Hass Avocado which would be grown as Mother Trees to start the massive planting of this high value product with a huge export potential.
Recent reports of massive landslides in Cotabato highlands, including in President Roxas town, had prompted me to pursue a program which I designed when I was Agriculture Secretary and later Chairman of the Mindanao Development Authority.
The Program is called Environmental Farming which advocates for the growing of fruit trees while mindful of the protection of the environment at the same time.
I crafted the Environmental Farming Program also as a solution to the failed and expensive reforestation programs of government in the deforested highlands of Mindanao.
It is a farming concept which promotes greater productivity among the farmers in the countryside while at the same time protecting the environment by encouraging them to plant fruit trees.
Among the high-value fruit trees that the Environmental Farming Program plans to introduce are Hass Avocado which is in demand in the local and foreign market and the Abuyog Sweet Jackfruit developed by the Department of Agriculture in the East Visayas Agricultural Research Center (EVIARC).
These two fruit trees are among those which I am pushing mainly because of their market potentials, both local and export.
The Abuyog or EVIARC Sweet Jackfruit, for example, already has a ready buyer, Eng Seng Food Products of Davao City which is willing to provide a marketing agreement to Jackfruit growers.
John Tan, owner of Eng Seng Food Products, the country’s Number 1 Durian Exporter, said fresh, frozen and processed EVIARC Jackfruit has a huge market in China.
Hass Avocado, on the other hand, has already penetrated the China Market following successful efforts of the Duterte Presidency to work on the export protocols.
Another big market being eyed for Hass Avocado in Japan where the process of accreditation had been started when I was Secretary of Agriculture.
Currently, I am designing a protocol which would allow farmers in the highlands of Alamada who would plant the Hass Avocado to also grow in between rows secondary crops like Soybeans, Alfalfa and Sorghum.
The big boost to this new Agricultural Innovation is the fact that Alamada Mayor Jesus Sacdalan is a true-blue farmer who understands the importance of Environment-Friendly Agriculture.
#EcoFriendlyFarming!
#KungGustoMaramingParaan!