LUCENA CITY—Quezon Gov. David Suarez has approved the Provincial Commodity Investment Plan (PCIP) for 2018-2020, which covered various existing commodities for expanded production and development in various areas in the province.
Provincial agriculturist Roberto Gajo presented the PCIP, which will be supported by the World Bank-funded Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), during the Provincial Development Council meeting led by Suarez and attended by various municipal mayors and municipal council development officers on May 29 at the Kalilayan Hall here.
Gajo identified the commodities under PCIP, as abaca, coffee, mango, pineapple, cacao, banana, and lowland vegetables such as ampalaya, okra, squash and string beans.
Seaweeds, dairy cattle and virgin coconut oil were earlier approved under the PCIP, which, Gajo said, serves as primary reference for local government units and other government agencies in planning and budgeting processes to support agriculture and fishery development in the province and in identifying agri-fishery investments.
Gajo said the PCIP is a multi-agency collaborative development effort that needs the assistance of the departments of Agriculture, Labor, Trade and Industry, and Science and Technology, and various non-governmental organizations.
He said the PCIP involves six segmented processes including input supply, production support and planting materials; production and farm-to-market roads; processing, value additions such as corn to feeds, coconut to virgin coco oil and seaweeds to powder; marketing, trade fair and advertising, creation of market and production analysis; enabling environment, financing loan facility and policy guidelines for stakeholders; and research development and extension, capability enhancement, establishment of demo-techno farms and product development.
Gajo said the PRDP has allocated P70 million to PCIP with a P12-million counterpart funding from the provincial government.
The PRDP aims at least a 5-percent increase in annual real-farm income of the project’s household beneficiaries; a 30-percent increase in income of the enterprise development beneficiaries; a 7-percent increase in value of annual marketed output; and a 20-percent increase in number of farmers and fisheries with improved access to agricultural services.
Gajo added growth areas for coffee in the province are Candelaria, Pitogo, Real, General Nakar, Dolores, Guinayangan, Macalelon, San Antonio, Patnanungan, Jomalig, Infanta, Sariaya, Burdeos, San Francisco and Panukulan.
Growth areas for mango include Lucena and Tayabas cities, Sariaya, Candelaria, Padre Burgos, Dolores, Atimonan, Plaridel, Macalelon, San Antonio, Pagbilao, Infanta, Pitogo, San Francisco, Unisan, Alabat, Calauag, Guinayangan, Gumaca, Lopez and Tagkawayan.
Growth areas for pineapple are General Luna, Polillo, Macalelon, Sariaya, Tiaong, San Antonio, Lucena City, Calauag, Burdeos, Patnanungan, Pitogo, Guinayangan, Candelaria, Panukulan and Agdangan.
Growth areas for lowland vegetables are Dolores, Tiaong, Gumaca, Pagbilao, Sariaya, San Antonio, Plaridel, Burdeos, Lucena City, Pitogo, Candelaria, Mulanay, Tagkawayan, Padre Burgos and Unisan.
Growth areas for cacao are Alabat, Tagkawayan, Lopez, Atimonan, Guinayangan, General Nakar, Polillo, Real, Plaridel, Perez, Lucban, Patnanungan, San Francisco, Jomalig and Burdeos.
Growth areas for banana are San Francisco, Dolores, Mauban, Buenavista, Lucena City, Infanta, Tagkawayan, Sampaloc, Mulanay, Burdeos, Unisan, Real, Patnanungan, Lopez and Jomalig.