DA receives 19 solar panels for urban planting program

June 29, 2020

The Department  of Agriculture received solar panel units from Weather Philippines Foundation Inc. in a turnover ceremony on Monday morning.

During the ceremony, Agriculture Secretary William Dar received 19 units of 30-watt solar panels from Weather Philippines Foundation Inc. president Maribeth Marasigan.

Dar said the solar panel will be used to power water systems for vegetable production.

He said under the urban agriculture program of the government, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will be optimizing the use of renewable energy to grow food using aquaponics and hydroponics technologies.

According to Dar, the solar panels will be set up at the DA-Bureau of Plant Industry urban gardens in Malate to generate electricity to sustain aquaponics and hydroponics set ups.

“We are promoting in a big way renewable energy in agriculture as this is the key to level up food production in the future,” he said.

Dar added that the initiative would intensify the government’s move towards sustainable  and climate-resilient food production.

Dar also encouraged other corporations to band with DA "through partnerships involving primary production, secondary and tertiary processing through their corporate social responsibility, and agribusiness efforts."

“This will not only address food security and create income opportunities for our local farmers and fishers in the rural areas, but it will also fast-track the agri-industrialization movement for the country,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS