Protecting Small Farmers! TOWN BANS MULTINATIONALS IN VEGETABLE FARMING AREA

In a unique zoning ordinance passed by the town of Talakag, Bukidnon, multinational agricultural corporations are not allowed to enter a designated vegetable production area occupied mostly by Tribal farmers.

Talakag Mayor Vergito Factura said he was the vice mayor of the town when the ordinance was passed aimed at protecting the town’s small farming families composed of the native Talaandig tribe and a few Christian families.

At an elevation of 1,400-meters above sea level (ASL), the Miarayon Region with an area of 11,000 hectares is one of the vegetable production areas of Bukidnon Province.

The other areas are in the towns of Lantapan, Sumilao and Impasugong. The whole vegetable production region has an estimated area of 50,000 hectares which, along with the Cordillera Region, is more than enough to make the country self-sufficient in high value vegetables.

In coordination with Bukidnon officials led by Governor Jose Zubiri, the Mindanao Development Authoirty (MinDA) will pursue the completion of the Region’s Vegetable Production Master Plan which I started when I was Secretary of Agriculture.

The plan includes environmental protection to ensure that the supply of water for the farms is sustained.

More than that, the Master Plan will focus on providing the farmers of the Region the services that they need to produce more – infrastrucrure, financing and market access.

The Region when fully developed could contribute to the vision of making the country self-sufficient in food supply, especially high value vegetables.

This is one of the major moves towards the liberation of the country from its dependence on foreign sources of food supplies.

#KayaNatinToManiwalaSanaKayo!

#KungGustoMaramingParaan!

(This video material was produced by the Beauty & Bounty of Mindanao Media Team and filmed entirely in Miarayon, Talakag, Bukidnon.)