DA eyeing to transform portions of ancestral land to be food production areas

April 16, 2020

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is eyeing portions of vast ancestral lands nationwide to be transformed into food production areas as part of its effort to increase the country's food supply amid the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar called for the cooperation of the indigenous peoples or IPs to support the government effort, an agriculture department statement said.

"In this time of crisis, we need practical strategies that can produce immediate results. Thus, we are calling on our fellow countrymen, the indigenous peoples or IPs, to transform part if not most of their idle ancestral lands into vegetable and high value crop farms,"  he said

“Our IPs can also consider going into diversified farming systems, integrating vegetable and livestock raising, that will provide them not only continuous source of food, but also source of additional income,” he added.

Dar said the DA "will allot a substantial budget to bankroll the enhanced food production program in ancestral lands."

"It forms part of the Duterte administration's P31-billion Plant, Plant, Plant Program, where we will, among other projects, intensify the promotion of urban and community agriculture as one of the interventions to help ensure availability of and access to food nationwide," he said.

"Emphasizing that food production is as equally important as a major strategy in the current fight against COVID-19 pandemic, the DA has realigned its programs and refocus its budget to specifically enhance food production nationwide," he added

Dar said the IP's may also raise pig and chicken.

"Aside from profitable types of vegetables like onion, string beans, potato, carrots, pineapple, garlic, cauliflower, and watermelon our brother IPs can grow cacao, coffee, abaca or black pepper, or they may go into raising native pigs and free-range chicken," he said

"Other crops include ampalaya, asparagus, cabbage, cassava, garlic, ginger, mungbean, papaya, peanut, sweet potato, and tomato," he added.

Assistant Secretary Noel Reyes, DA spokesman said according to the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), the IP's occupied about 7.7 million hectares, or 26 percent of the country's total land area of 30 million hectares.

"As of 2019, the NCIP has issued 243 certificates of ancestral domain titles, with a total land area of 5.7 million hectares and a total of 1.3 million IPs as rights holders," he said. Robina Asido/DMS