AGRI SUPPORT. Central Visayas agriculture regional chief Salvador Diputado turns over on Thursday (Jan. 28) assorted vegetable seeds to Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia for the Sugbusog Program of the provincial government, as part of Agriculture Secretary William Dar’s initial contribution to Cebu’s food production program. (Photo courtesy of DA-7)
CEBU CITY – The Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas (DA-7) has turned over more than PHP653,000 worth of vegetable seeds to the provincial government here to support its food production program.
DA-7 regional director Salvador Diputado on Thursday gave 35 boxes of assorted vegetable seeds to Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to further boost the latter's successful "Sugbusog" program.
Diputado said the seeds are part of the initial support promised by DA Secretary William Dar during his last visit to Cebu where he committed to support Capitol’s Sugbusog program.
Sugbusog or the "Sugbuanong Busog Luwas ug Himsog" was conceptualized to encourage households to plant in their backyards to fight boredom amid the pandemic.
The program has since expanded to include raising free-range chicken and establishing an aquaponics system for fish production.
The seeds given include okra (lady finger), string beans, pechay, lettuce and eggplant, weighing a total of 389.64 kilograms.
Diputado said this is just the initial round of support the DA is extending for the Sugbusog as more seeds will be given in the coming months.
DA-7 will also extend livestock such as the native chicken with “Bohol strain.”
The agriculture agency also plans to send pigs, ducks, and goats from its Ubay stockfarm in Bohol as part of its thrust to cut reliance on Bohol in sourcing farm products.
Diputado said the DA had difficulty transporting livestock because of the pandemic, thus the need for each province in the region to manage their own livestock site.
During Dar’s visit last December, he promised that more resources would be allocated for Central Visayas, with Cebu getting a PHP454-million budget this year from DA. (PNA)
