DA Urges Planting of Fruit Trees, Coffee at Lake Lanao Watershed Reservation

The Department of Agriculture encouraged planting of fruit-bearing trees and coffee at the Lake Lanao Watershed Reservation to address soil erosion in the area and effectively manage the watershed at the recently held Lake Lanao Watershed Summit themed: “Ranaw Watershed, the Lifeblood of Mindanao: Roadmap to Sheltering and Sustaining Life and Culture.”

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said “the people who will take care of the trees they planted will reap the fruits for additional food on their tables and the trees will provide them a livelihood at the same time.”

Alcala added, that in between the fruit trees, farmers can also plant Arabica coffee, again for added income and to help counter the effects of soil erosion.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) of the DA), National Power Corporation (NPC) Mindanao State University (MSU) – Marawi, and Tanggol Kalikasan are jointly implementing a project which aims to build local initiatives that would lead to strengthen democratic processes and effective management of the Lake Lanao Watershed Reservation.

The project promotes approaches that will result in better management of fisheries, watershed, and forest resources, as well as solid waste management, in the lakeshore municipalities of Lanao del Sur.

The project is supported by the United Nations, Democracy Fund (UNDEF) and is currently being coordinated by Tanggol Kalikasan, a public interest environmental law office based in Quezon City, in partnership with the Office of Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension – IEC of the MSU Marawi Campus, Marawi City.

The participating 19 municipalities agreed that the municipality of Balindong will be the pilot area of the coffee plantation.

The Secretary said this will be monitored via satellite every six months to examine the project’s progress.

Alcala said, through its regional office, it will try to conduct a radio program for information-dissemination purposes.

He added, instead of white corn, they will provide yellow corn seeds for the area, since majority of the people there are not corn-grits eaters.

The Secretary also committed, with the support of the government of Lanao del Sur, two 4-wheel drive, 90 horsepower tractors, along with high value crop seedlings.

A season-long field training on lake management was also promised by the Secretary, with the help of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI).

According to Alcala, the Department can also provide the province with a rapid composting machine.

“Through this, the people of Lanao del Sur can produce their own organic fertilizer out of the garbage being disposed,” Alcala said.

During the event, the Secretary also awarded the check for the second tranche of the farm-to-market road project worth P 12.94 million for Lanao del Sur. (Ian Go, DA-OSEC)