STA.BARBARA—A Rice and Corn Caravan piloted by the Department of  Agriculture (DA) arrived here on Tuesday showcasing the different programs and projects of the government to boost food production and make the country self-sufficient by the year 2010.

The highlight of the event was a whole-day lecture series and demonstrations by experts attended by farmers from Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte.

Spearheaded by Agriculture Assistant Secretary Salvador Salacup and DA Regional Field Officer Flora Gagni, the caravan was welcomed by Sta. Barbara Mayor Jinky Zaplan and Provincial Agriculturist Jose Almendares, representing Governor Victor Agbayani.

Salacup said the vision of the DA is to make the Philippines self-sufficient in rice supply by 2010 and in corn by 2008, noting that Pangasinan is a major producer of corn.

He said Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap adopted a five-point agenda to be accomplished by the DA in order to hasten improved food production. This includes the development of the following: infrastructure, post-harvest facilities, irrigation, research development and extension, and market access, both domestic and international.

At the same time, Salacup said the DA has set its eyes on the opening of two million additional hectares of land throughout the country for massive planting of cash crops in order to boost food production and at the same time create two million jobs.

These two million jobs are DA’s contribution to the 10 million jobs outlined in President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s 10-point agenda up to year 2010.

Salacup explained that the Rice and Corn Information Caravan  basically seeks to campaign hard on agricultural productivity in line with the government’s vision of ensuring food security and giving more profits to farmers and fisher folks.

The whole-day caravan also demonstrated different projects put up by the DA, such as those related to planting of rice, corn and vegetables, and raising offish and livestock.

Salacup also said the information caravan compliments the major vision of the North Luzon Agri-business Quadrangle (NLAQ) super region, headed by Yap, which aims to position the area as the major supplier for the Urban Beltway covering Mega Metro Manila.

Assuring that the super region project is continuing, Salacup said that the construction of the P5 billion Agno River Irrigation Project in Pangasinan is among the projects identified for NLAQ.—LM

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