NIA and Local Chief Executives Collaborate to Improve Development Plans in Zamboanga del Norte

Maayong balita alang sa mga mag-uuma, tungod kay hinay-hinay nang misaka ang presyo sa kopras sulod sa milabayng semana. Base sa pinakabag-ong datos sa daily market price nga gipagula sa Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), misaka na sa P55.19 ang farmgate price sa kopras, samtang P65.67 na ang millgate price.

Kini nga pagtaas sa presyo mas taas kung itandi sa naitalang presyo niadtong milabayng semana, diin ang farmgate price naa sa P54.85 ug ang millgate price sa P63.89. Ang maong pagsaka nagpasabot og dugang benepisyo alang sa mga mag-uuma nga nagasuplay sa kopras, ilabi na sa Davao Region nga usa sa mga nag-unang copra-producing areas sa Mindanao.

Sumala sa mga eksperto, ang pagtaas sa presyo sa kopras mahimong resulta sa pagtaas sa demand sa merkado ug sa ubang external nga mga hinungdan. Padayon usab ang mga ahensya sa gobyerno sa pagpasiugda og mga programa nga makatabang sa mga mag-uuma sa pagpalambo sa ilang produksiyon ug kalidad sa kopras.

Ang mga mag-uuma sa rehiyon naglaum nga magpadayon pa ang maayong dagan sa presyo sa kopras aron mas mapadayon ang ilang panginabuhian ug ang kinatibuk-ang industriya sa pagpananom ug pagproseso sa lubi sa nasod.

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In my genuine desire to provide the Indigenous People and their children a better life, I have designed the Cotabato Bamboo Farming Program in their vast Ancestral Domains which I hope to implement if by God’s grace, I will be back as Governor of my province.

The program aims to establish Giant Bamboo Production in 10,000 hectares of Tribal Ancestral Lands to address poverty in IP communities, protect the rivers and water sources and provide jobs while earning revenues for the provincial government under an Economic Enterprise Program.

The North Cotabato model will involve Ancestral Domain stakeholders who will receive financial incentives for every 5 hectares of Bamboo Farm that they will manage over a period of 5 years.

The stakeholders will receive free planting materials from the Provincial Government.

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When the harvest of the Bamboo starts, the Provincial Economic Enterprise Office which will establish an Engineered Bamboo Processing Facility, will buy the poles.

All expenses incurred, including the financial incentives given the period before harvest will be deducted.

With an estimated gross income of no less than P500,000 per hectare, the Bamboo Farming Program in Ancestral Domains will surely Lift IP families from poverty.

This will be a fulfilment and realization of my dream to give the Tribal People and their children a better life.

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A team of aquaculture experts from the Southeast Asia Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) will arrive in Cotabato tomorrow to study the viability of growing Freshwater Lobster or “Ulang” in the Liguasan and Libungan-Torreta Marsh in Central Mindanao.

Director General Dan Baliao of the Iloilo-based SEAFDEC formed the team last week after I asked for a technical evaluation on “Ulang” farming in floating cages in the periphery of the 250,000-hectare marshlands.

The idea came about during a casual conversation I had last week with Agriculture Undersecretary Jerome Oliveros who handles Foreign-Funded Projects.

Usec Oliveros said he was looking for viable projects for ODA Funding.

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That was when I proposed “Ulang” production in floating cages, including other species native to the marsh.

The Liguasan and Libungan-Torreta Marshes are natural habitats of the Freshwater Lobster, locally known as “Pahe.”

There had been no attempts to commercially produce “Pahe” in floating cages.

Recently, SEAFDEC announced that it had succeeded in breeding “Ulang” and could produce up to 100,000 post-larvaes (PL) every week.

Joining the team in the site visit on Tuesday are representatives of Inca Mariculture Plastics which makes floating cages.

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Source: MannyPiñol Facebook Page