By Manny Piñol
The Department of Agriculture will join the Bangsamoro Autonomous Government Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) in a workshop in General Santos City tomorrow to prepare a 10-Year Agriculture Master Plan to increase productivity and reduce poverty incidence in the region.
During the 39th Cabinet Meeting last night, I informed President Rody Duterte of the partnership between DA and the MAFAR of the newly-constituted Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to tap the region’s resources, including its rich fishing grounds.
The BARMM Agriculture and Fisheries Master Plan is expected to be completed in less than two months with the DA using its available data and satellite maps to support the planning process.
BARMM Agriculture Minister Mohammad Yacob received the commitment of support from the Department of Agriculture during his call on the DA Secretary two months ago.
Tomorrow, I will present during the BARMM MAFAR workshop the framework of the Master Plan, after which the DA and the BARMM Agriculture Ministry will convene a multi-sectoral workshop.
Comprised of five provinces of Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Maguindanao, Basilan and Tawitawi and the City of Cotabato, BARMM has one of the highest poverty incidence among the regions of the country.
This is in spite of the fact that the region possesses vast resources like Lake Lanao, Liguasan Marsh and the vast fishing grounds teeming with fish.
With its rich volcanic soil and the distinction of being typhoon free, the DA is eyeing the BARMM as a prospective food and fisheries production area for the country.
Since it was declared an autonomous region from the Marcos Era, the agriculture sector has been marked with corruption.
Ghost projects, uncompleted road networks, non-functioning irrigation systems and missing bridges marred the implementation of agri programs in the past.
The last administration was not exempted from issues of corruption with reports reaching the DA that farm equipment including tractors were sold to private individuals instead of being given to farmers organizations shortly before the turn-over of the DAF-ARMM to the BARMM Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
“We have to leave that behind us and do it right this time,” Minister Yacob said.
(Stock photos were downloaded from public websites. Photos of Minister Yacob and DA Secretary taken by Larry Nuestro and Alan Jay Jacalan, DA AFID)
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