Hindi pa lubos na umaarangkada ang high-value crop production sa bansa, sinabi ni Senator Cynthia Villar na makakabuti kung palalakasin din ang organic farming.
Sa kanyang mensahe sa paggunita sa ika-28 anibersaryo ng pagpapatupad ng High-Value Crops (HVC), ipinaalala ni Villar na isinabatas ang RA. 7900 para sa “crop diversity and production” at paunlarin ang agribusiness vale chain.
“High-value crops refer to crops that have defined regular or niche market or has potential domestic and/or export markets, or command high prices, whether in fresh or processed form,” dagdag pa ng namumuno sa Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food.
Himutok ng senadora makalipas ang halos tatlong dekada halos pa rin pag-usad sa produksyon ng “high-value crops o ang non-traditional crops.”
Kayat giit ni Villar kailangan natin ang organic farming para pangasiwaan ang ating basura.
Binanggit niya na may 89 composting facilities sa lungsod ng Las Piñas sa pamamagitan ng Villar Sipag Foundation at 50 sa buong bansa sa kanilang kumpaniya- Vista Land.
Pagbabahagi pa nito, 139 toneladang ‘compost’ ang nagagawa ng bawat pasilidad. at ibinigay sa mga magsasaka at gardeners sa ibat-ibang dako ng bansa.
“The National High Value Crops Program has been with me in promoting composting. They have been distributing shredders and composting machines thru the Bureau of Soils and Water Management to farmers to process their kitchen, garden, and farm waste to improve soil fertility to correct the degradation of our soils,’ sabi pa ng senadora.
Bago pa nag-pandemiya, isinulong na ni Villar ang “Home and School Vegetable Gardening” sa Las Piñas City.
“During the pandemic until now, I do it nationwide. Vegetables are efficient to generate cash even from a small plot of land in a short period of time and help farmers to improve their livelihood. In urban areas I have been encouraging Community gardens,” ayon pa kay Villar.