Preparing households for the possible threat of food insufficiency amidst the enhanced community quarantine brought by the pandemic COVID-19 to the Ilocanoes, the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office I thru the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) started the distribution of various kinds of vegetable seedlings for free to interested individuals in various parts of the region.
Aimed at encouraging individuals to establish their own backyard garden, the distribution of free-seeds is one strategy being implemented by the DA-RFO I to address limitation of food supply due to the COVID 19 situation.
In a distribution activity held today at the DA-RFO I compound in San Fernando City, La Union, around 8 kinds of vegetable seedlings were distributed to interested individuals which include among others eggplant, tomato, ampalaya, upo, kangkong, pechay, hot pepper and sitao.
In Pangasinan, the San Carlos Mango Growers and Contractors Association, thru its President, Mr. Mario Garcia received worth of P52,700 vegetable seeds that could benefit around 50 farmer-members, while Tebag Brgy. Captain Antonio Soriano in Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan received from DA around P54,000 worth of vegetable seeds for distribution to at least 100 households in the barangay.
In Manaoag, Pangasinan, Ms. Lanie Fe Dungca, representatives of the Pangasinan Topical Fruits MPC and Pangasinan Organic Seed Growers MPC received from DA P54,000 worth of vegetables seeds for each association for distribution to 200 households in the area.
Meanwhile, the DA-Regional Office located at Aguila Rd., San Fenando City, La Union is also currently distributing free-vegetable seeds to interested individuals from the province.
The Ilocos Norte Research and Experiment Center located in Batac City, Ilocos Norte will be doing the same distribution activity the soonest as coordination with the seed supplier is still on-going.
This effort of DA-RFO I is in fact an enhanced strategy from its regular activity of providing seeds to various farmers associations in the region which has been consistently carried out in the past.