LINGAYEN—With Pangasinan keeping its momentum as the top producer of agricultural products in Region 1, the provincial government will soon introduce a new model in agri-business development for small-scale farmers.

In his State of the Province Address (SOPA) delivered on February 10 at the Capitol Plaza here, Gov. Amado Espino, Jr. announced that the new program, patterned after a successful initiative in India, is intended to help small farmers engage in commercial-scale production and market their products.

He did not elaborate on the details of the plan but said it will entail organizing and training farmers to use better technologies and information systems to improve production, product quality and market competitiveness.

Espino cited the increase in the province’s rice production 811, 037 metric tons in 2007 to 1.136 million metric tons in 2013 with the rice crop area expanding from 181, 344.73 hectares to 250, 633 in the same period.

Pangasinan — contributing 65 percent of the region’s total rice production and ranks as the third top rice producing province in the country next to Nueva Ecija and Isabela in 2013 — posted an average yield of 4.53 metric tons per hectare, which is higher than the 4.45 metric tons for the region.

Pangasinan also remains the leading producer of quality mangoes in Region 1 with a total production of 108, 426 metric tons, representing 80 percent of the regional output.

“We are also among the top five corn producing provinces generating a total production of 319, 875.31 metric tons in 2013 with a productivity level of 6.25 metric tons per hectare which is higher than the 5.59 metric tons per hectare for the region and the national average of 5.04 metric tons,” the governor reported.

On vegetables, the province accounts for at least 70 percent of the combined production in the Region I.

FISHERIES

In aquaculture, Pangasinan accounted for 96.3 percent of the regional production of bangus, and 23 percent of the total national output.

Tilapia fingerlings worth P3.22 million were dispersed in 123 communal bodies of water throughout the province with the provincial hatcheries in Lingayen, Sta. Barbara and San Quintin working on a year round production plus augmentation of fingerlings from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

The fingerling dispersal came after a massive river clean-up drive and maintenance is undertaken through a coastal resources management program.

Hito fingerlings will also soon become available once the newly-constructed hito hatchery in San Quintin becomes fully operational.

Demo sites for mariculture, aquasiviculture and aquaculture projects to showcase sustainable aquaculture and mariculture practices under the Fisheries Industry Enhancement Program were also established with BFAR.

CARABAOS

Another development implemented by the province in 2013 is the signing into law of Provincial Ordinance No. 170-2013 for the regulation of the sale or slaughter of female carabaos to contain the depletion of female carabaos in the province.

The Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) has also chosen Pangasinan as a pilot province in dairy carabao production with the goal of making Pangasinan as the dairy capital of the north.

At present, there are seven existing carabao milk producing farmer groups in the province located in Asingan, San Nicolas, Umingan, Urdaneta City, Lingayen, Bugallon and Anda.

Espino cited former Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani’s successful carabao milk processing farm in Barangay Tulong West, Urdaneta City  which now supplies processed carabao milk to high-end establishments in Metro Manila, including the Manila Hotel. (with report from PIO)

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