DA to boost agri production in Minda via MIADP
THE agricultural production in Mindanao will soon be further boosted with the implementation of a five-year project which aims to address the lingering poverty among the indigenous peoples (IPs) in the southern Philippine region.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) will start this year the implementation of the Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (MIADP) as part of the food security agenda of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr.
The DA said that the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) has already approved the implementation of the project, with an estimated total cost of P6.625 billion.
The project will be financed through an official development assistance (ODA) loan from the World Bank (WB).
The project also aims to enhance resiliency and access to markets and services of organized farmer and fisherfolk groups in selected ancestral domains and selected value chains in Mindanao, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
It will adopt DA-institutionalized strategies, including strengthened planning, resource programming and implementation processes, and an integrated application of scientific and market-based data and instruments for long-term resiliency and economic profitability.
The MIADP also employs processes, approaches, and tools consistent with the principles embodied in Republic Act (RA) No. 8371, also known as “The Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997.”
The project is expected to improve the economic situation of the IPs in Mindanao by providing agri-infrastracture support such as farm-to-market roads, bridges, small-scale irrigation projects, potable water systems, and agricultural tramline systems.
It will also provide agri-fishery enterprise support for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) covering different commodities, including rice, corn, livestock and poultry, fisheries, and high-value crops.
As it improves the economic condition of the indigenous communities, the project will strengthen the capacity of partners in the local government units (LGUs) to establish a support program in addressing the low incomes in isolated ancestral domains due to weak marketing linkages and poor infrastructure.
