File Photo
COTABATO CITY—During the first quarter of 2021, a significant 36.46 percent increase in palay production in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was recorded by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
This was affirmed by Saudi Mangindra, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform’s (MAFAR-Maguindanao) chief of agriculture for operations, during the culmination ceremony of Farmers’ Field School (FFS) training held Tuesday, July 13, at Brgy. Liong, Barira town in Maguindanao.
According to him, the 36.46 percent hike is equivalent to 310,012 metric tons, as compared to 196,987 metric tons logged last year.
Mangindra said, “this is a huge accomplishment for the reason that before, the region usually hit about a 3 to 5 percent increase in rice production.”
He also acknowledged the significant contribution of Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice – Midsayap) to BARMM’s agriculture sector.
Meanwhile, Ommal Abdulkadil, assistant director of PhilRice Midsayap, told that in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the agriculture sector and its agencies remain resilient and continued to provide the food supply.
“Ang ahensya ng pagsasaka ang patuloy na naging matatag sa gitna ng pandemya. Kaya kung wala ang ating magsasaka, wala po tayong kakainin,” Abdulkadil said.
MAFAR is currently working on conducting more FFS training across BARMM in order to sustain and secure food production in the region.(Bangsamoro Information Office)
