DA Western Visayas, PLGU Iloilo lay down plans for agri development

Department of Agriculture (DA) Western Visayas’ Regional Executive Director Dennis R. Arpia and Iloilo Governor Arthur R. Defensor Jr. tackled priority programs and pipelined interventions aimed at advancing the agriculture sector in a meeting held on March 12 at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol.

Governor Defensor outlined his plans to establish Agricultural Management Units (AMUs) that will help improve farming practices and make operations more efficient. One key aspect of this initiative involves using strategic mapping to identify areas where hybrid and inbred rice clusters are cultivated, allowing targeted interventions for maximum productivity.

According to him, the AMUs will be crucial in providing farmers with the necessary training and financial assistance to improve their production, yield, and income.

“Serbisyo” underscores this commitment as the provincial strategy, focusing on marketing, cluster-based preparation, drying and milling, production, and harvest operations.

The DA Western Visayas allocated a P16-million budget for the interventions to advance Iloilo’s palay production. Of the total amount, the P9-million fund is targeted for developing the hybrid rice clusters, while the P7-million is for the inbred rice clusters.

Meanwhile, the provincial government of Iloilo had already invested P451,662.49 for hybrid rice and P101,684.73 for inbred rice propagation.

Governor Defensor’s proactive approach underscores his dedication to driving agricultural development, laying the foundation for sustainable economic prosperity in the province.

Banner Program representatives Reynol Dequino, Jonifer Frades, Andrew Palomar, Fernie Rose Dollolasa, Renan Palomo, APCO Gareth Bayate, and Engr. Emheryn Grace Catilisin, Iloilo Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Ildefonso Toledo, and Senior Agriculturist Geron Magbanua were also present during the meeting.### Texts by CLauresta & Photos by JDeGuzman/DA-RAFIS 6