THERE is no cause for concern about food supply in Region 1 amid the COVID-19 contagion in the country.

This was stressed by Lucrecio Alvear, regional executive director of the Department of Agriculture Field Office 1, who said the region continues to be the top 5 food contributor to the whole nation.

Alvear told the Virtual KBP Forum on Thursday that Pangasinan alone has sufficient food supply that it can share to Metro Manila and other provinces under lockdown.

He illustrated this by pointing out that the region’s rice production is such that as much as 78% in excess supply can be shared with other regions because Region 1 produces 1.8 million metric tons of rice and the region only needs one million metric tons.

In this current planting season, the region has programmed 307,000 hectares of land for rice and 52 percent or 161,000 hectares have already been planted.

Region 1 also is the leading producer of vegetables, like eggplant, ampalaya, okra, tomatoes and high-value crops like mango and garlic, many of which are being brought to existing “bagsakan” markets in the region.

Alvear also cited the region’s long coastline from Infanta, Pangasinan to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte that produces enough supply of fish in the region.

Pangasinan is still is the leading producer of milkfish in the country which it ships daily to Metro Manila.

Alvear added that the region can still supply poultry products to Metro Manila because the bird flu among fowls that reportedly broke out in Nueva Ecija and towns in Pampanga has not reached Region 1.

Only hog meat produced in the region is staying in the region for sometime because of the African Swine Fever that already hit hogs in 26 municipalities of Pangasinan and four in La Union.

He admitted though that the region’s agricultural workers were worst hit during the lockdown since they could not tend their fields and harvest their produce. (Leonardo Micua)

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