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Farmers harvest their crops under the scorching sun in Barangay Krus na Ligas, Quezon City on April 17, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News 

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Farm

Jeffrey Hernaez

ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><p>MANILA — Over 30 mayors from different regions gathered Thursday to meet with the<span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"> Department of Agriculture</span> (DA), focusing on what local governments can do to support the government&#x27;s food security and agricultural programs.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1715905946817GNrpN0DaUAA9wA9.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><span contenteditable="true" id="isPasted"><span contenteditable="true" style="text-align:left">Around 30 mayors from the BARMM, Cordillera Administrative Region, Region 1, and Region 2 gathered at the Agricultural Training Institute of the Department of Agriculture on May 16, 2024, Thursday. <em>Jeffrey Hernaez, ABS-CBN News</em><br/></span></span></span></span></span>&quot;Ang naisip natin, kuha tayo ng sampling kung ano ba talaga ang pangangailangan ng mga LGU para makipagtulungan sa Department of Agriculture kasi iyan yung kailangang kailangan nating gawin ngayon, iyong engagement sa baba,&quot; said Agriculture Undersecretary Zamzamin Ampatuan.</div><div><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">(We want to understand the needs of the LGUs for collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, as engagement at the local level is crucial right now.)</span></div><p>Discussed  programs included the national government’s initiatives on rice, corn, fisheries, livestock, high-value crops, and the National Organic Agriculture program.</p><p>The mayors raised issues with the DA such as improving high-value crop production and constructing farm-to-market roads.</p><p>&quot;Ngayon po namin maipapaalam sa mga namumuno na napakalaking perwisyo po sa amin ng tag-araw. Iyong amin pong farmers, ang amin pong fishermen, dinagok talaga ng malaking epekto ng tag-araw,&quot; said Narra, Palawan Mayor Gerandy Danao.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/3/19/agricultural-damage-due-to-el-ni-o-reaches-p1-75-billion-1403">• Agricultural damage due to El Niño reaches P1.75 billion</a></div><p>(We want to inform our leaders about the severe impact of the dry season on our farmers and fishermen.)</p><p>According to Danao, over a thousand farmers and fishermen have been severely affected by the extreme heat in their municipality.</p><p> &quot;Kailangan namin ng kaunting tulong galing sa taas, mabigyan po ng financial help iyong aming farmers na naghirap. Hindi kami makapag-declare ng [state of] calamity dahil inaabangan naman namin ang darating na La Niña,&quot; Danao added.</p><p>(We need some financial help for our struggling farmers. We can&#x27;t declare a state of calamity because we&#x27;re anticipating the upcoming La Niña.) </p><p>Nestor Ancheta from the Office of the Mayor of Talugtug, Nueva Ecija, emphasized that farm-to-market roads are essential for agricultural development in their area.</p><p>&quot;Kapag kulang tayo ng magagandang kalsada, tumataas din ang presyo ng hauling. Kapag sira sira ang kalsada, umaabot sa 30 percent ang mawawala sa kikitain,&quot; he said.</p><p>(If we lack good roads, the hauling costs increase. Poor roads can reduce earnings by up to 30 percent.)</p><p> The DA assured the mayors that their concerns would be heard.</p><p>&quot;We need to establish a connection between national and local governments. Food security issues must be addressed at the local level, with the national government providing guidance and intervention to ensure an organized and systematic approach,&quot; said Agriculture Undersecretary Cheryl Marie Natividad.</p><div> </div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i4aLRahgRvw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>The mayors raised issues with the DA such as improving high-value crop production and constructing farm-to-market roads.</p>

The mayors raised issues with the DA such as improving high-value crop production and constructing farm-to-market roads.

Mayors meet DA officials to elevate El Niño, food security concerns

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Mayors meet DA officials to elevate El Niño, food security concerns

Jeffrey Hernaez,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 17, 2024 10:28 AM PHT

Read More:

Department of Agriculture

Mayors

Food Security

agri

agriculture

LGU

local government

ANC

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