URBAN AGRICULTURE. A girl waters the crops planted on pots at their backyard in Minglanilla, Cebu. Department of Agriculture (DA)-Central Visayas operations division chief, Dr. Gerry Avilaon, on Wednesday (Aug. 5, 2020) said many people have sought free seeds from them to start backyard gardening since the community quarantine started. (PNA photo by John Rey Saavedra)
CEBU CITY – Urban agriculture is gaining ground under the "new normal" as a result of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) crisis that has pushed many city dwellers to find ways to produce their own food amid the community quarantine.
Dr. Gerry Avila, operations division chief at the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Central Visayas, on Wednesday said many people have sought free seeds from their office to start backyard gardening.
The DA has been pushing its Plant, Plant, Plant Program to encourage more people to undertake urban agriculture within their households in line with the government’s goal of attaining food sufficiency.
To date, the DA-7 has provided seeds to at least 86 local government units (LGUs) in Central Visayas where many people have been asking for it.
“We have seen an overwhelming reaction from the public. Many are doing it (urban gardening) now,” Avila said during a virtual interview hosted by the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas.
Grace Go of the Mandaue City Agriculture Office echoed Avila’s observation, saying even those with limited backyard space are now planting vegetables.
“Nowadays, space is no longer a problem in gardening. There are many alternative ways to do urban gardening,” she said.
One way of urban gardening is hydroponics, said Justin Paul Neri, a city farmer who started planting as a hobby but later on was able to earn from it.
Hydroponics is a form of gardening that uses no soil, but instead grows plants in a solution of water and nutrients, he said.
Neri said a hydroponic system can be used to grow plants and vegetables faster and year-round.
Plants grown this way usually yield more, require less space, and conserve soil and water.
This system, Neri said, is ideal for people living in dwellings with no outdoor space such as apartments.
The farming enthusiast advised people to explore and research about urban gardening, from which they can later on earn from by selling their produce. (PNA)
