THE palay production in Davao Region registered an increase in the past three to four years, according to the regional Department of Agriculture (DA-Davao) on January 4, 2023.
“We registered a little increase which is very vital. We have registered increase in hectarage despite the urbanization of many areas in the region,” DA-Davao Abel James Monteagudo said during a virtual presser.
DA-Davao has yet to release the data for the total production of palay in the year 2022 but 484,725 metric tons were produced in 2021 and 466,764 metric tons in 2020.
Last June, former Davao de Oro governor and Regional Development Council in Davao chairperson Jayvee Tyron Uy, rice sufficiency in Davao Region increased to 54 percent in 2021 from 47 percent in 2016.
Monteagudo said they are looking forward to a further increase of palay production since the DA, in coordination with concerned government agencies, is in the process of rehabilitating irrigation facilities in the region.
“We are reviewing the conditions of our irrigation facilities. We are also rehabilitating the existing ones so we can probably have more efficient water systems,” Monteagudo said.
Meanwhile, the production of vegetables in the Davao Region remains sufficient but is usually being transported to areas outside of the region.
“They have a bigger shortage in their area and probably they provide better prices so the farmers would rather sell it at other places than sell it here. We are hopeful we can address it with an additional budget for urban gardening,” he said. ICM