The Philippines Department of Agriculture (DA) has revealed that it will speed up the implementation of the Agricultural Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) and focus on the island of Mindanao in a bid to secure its role as the food basket of the country.
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Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor commented that the DA is anxious to focus on the expansion of the country’s fisheries, as well as the research and development (R&D) of the industry and the creation of strategic agriculture and fisheries development zones (SAFDZ).
While working with the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the DA will also expand and strengthen links with the local governments, focusing particularly on Mindanao.
Mindanao accounts for around a third of the country’s land area and 35% of its total gross value-added agriculture, fishery, and forestry. Administrations in the past have neglected Mindanao’s infrastructure and resources, with the result that it is now barely self-sufficient.
