Louise Maureen Simeon (The
Philippine Star) - June 30, 2020 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The Department
of Agriculture and the Aboitiz Group will optimize the use of renewable energy
in pushing for urban farming in a bid to boost food production in the country.
Aboitiz-led Weather Philippines
Foundation Inc. has turned over 19 units of 30-watts solar panels to the DA to
provide power to the water systems for vegetable production.
This is part of the government’s
urban agriculture program, encouraging urban dwellers to pursue aquaponics, a
technique where fish and vegetables grow in an integrated system.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar
said the solar panels would be set-up at the DA-Bureau of Plant Industry urban
gardens in Manila to generate electricity to sustain aquaponics.
“We are promoting in a big way
renewable energy in agriculture as this is the key to level up food production
in the future,” Dar said.
“The initiative would surely
intensify our move towards sustainable, strong, and climate-resilient food
production,” he said.
Founded in 2012 by the Aboitiz
Foundation and UnionBank, Weather Philippines is a multisectoral initiative
that aims to provide Filipinos with a premier weather sensing and forecasting
system.
It seeks to provide local
governments and communities with free, accurate, and localized weather
information for a timely response to severe weather conditions.
Further, Dar encouraged other
corporations to work with the department 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,” Dar said.
The DA has been mainstreaming
initiatives for urban agriculture as part of its Plant Plant Plant program to
address the food needs of residents living in the metropolis and augment
available food supply.
One of which is aquaponics, a
combination of the conventional aquaculture with hydroponics or cultivating
plants in water in a symbiotic environment.
It is one of the government’s newest
projects to ensure sustained food production in urban communities as the nation
eases into the “new normal.”
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