Valladolid highlights need to support farmers for food self-sufficiency, food security

In celebration of World Food Day, the Municipality of Valladolid, in partnership with the Dignidad Dolidnon for Sustainable Growth, Inc. (DDSGI), highlights the importance of comprehensive government support for farmers to attain food self-sufficiency and food security.

“Although sixty-four percent (64%) of our country’s land area is agricultural, we still import food. Instead of relying on imports, why don’t we focus government efforts on programs that will help farmers produce more food while earning a decent income from their labor?” rhetorically asked Valladolid Mayor Enrique “Bebot” Miravalles during the launch of the town’s World food Day celebration.

The mayor explained that his administration, with the full cooperation of the Sangguniang Bayan headed by Vice-Mayor Roel Yogore, aims to throw the full weight of the local government behind local farmers and fisherfolks to achieve this goal.

“We will organize our farmers into clusters, and we will tap all resources from national government agencies to provide farmers with seeds, fertilizer, insecticides, pesticides and other farm inputs. We will ensure that the farmers groups will profit from their farms, and that the income can trickle down to individual farmers,” explained Mayor Miravalles.

While Valladolid is a 4th Class municipality, it takes pride in being the second largest rice producer in the province. It also boasts of rich bounties from the sea, particularly the famous “diwal” (angel wing clams).

“During the pandemic, we relied primarily on our rice production and marine products. The pandemic taught us the need to produce our own food and produce enough food for our needs, so that we can have sufficient food without relying on imports or other producers, in case there is another event which can disturb food supply lines,” Mayor Miravalles pointed out.

He lamented that national government programs and expenditures have concentrated mostly on the development of infrastructure and industries, while programs for farmers and fisherfolks are not prioritized.

“Here in Valladolid, we want to change that. We want to make our town a pioneer local government unit in implementing programs to help our food producers boost their yields and increase their incomes,” he added.

The town recently implemented a subsidy of one peso (P1.00) per kilo in the National Food Authority’s buying price of palay. Presently, NFA pays farmers P23.00 per kilo while the LGU adds P1.00 to the NFA price, thereby giving rice farmers P24.00 per kilo. Next year, the mayor disclosed that the subsidy will be four pesos (P4.00), so that the farmers will enjoy the buying price of P27.00 per kilo of palay.

As part of its World food Day activities on October 20, Valladolid will hold the People’s Parade to the Public Plaza, an Agri Fair featuring the town’s agricultural and marine products, “Parangal ng Bayan”, “Acoustic for a Cause” and, to top it all, the distribution by the Department of Labor & Employment of P4 million worth of certified palay seeds to DOLE-accredited peoples’ organizations.* (Butch Bacaoco)