Government Has Pushed To Improve Nueva Ecija’s Agricultural Sector

President Benigno S. Aquino III said Wednesday his Daang Matuwid agenda in Nueva Ecija has focused on improving the province’s agricultural sector for the benefit of its people.

The goal of the government, he said, is to harness the full potential of Nueva Ecija as the “Rice Bowl of the Philippines”.

“Ang atin pong panata sa Daang Matuwid: Sa pag-unlad, walang maiiwan. Sa pag-ikot sa buong bansa, tinutukoy natin ang inyong pangangailangan, at agaran itong tinutugunan,” the President said in his speech during a meeting with members of the local community here.

He noted that the administration has built farm-to-market roads to speed up the transport of agricultural products to the market and in the end raise the people’s income.

From 2011 to 2015, the government completed 112 farm-to-market roads in Nueva Ecija, he said, adding 16 projects are still ongoing.

“Bukod dito, isinulong din natin ang paggamit ng makabagong teknolohiya sa pagsasaka, at ang production at post-harvest mechanization,” President Aquino said.

These initiatives, he said, resulted in rice yields of 5.12 metric tons per hectare in the province in 2015, higher than the 4.95 metric tons per hectare under Marcos’ Masagana 99 program.

The Chief Executive further cited the government’s major strides in improving the province’s infrastructure, pointing out that the budget allocation for infrastructure tripled from P5.68 billion from 2005 to 2010, to P16.17 billion from 2011 to 2016.

Another project, according to the President, is the Central Luzon Link Expressway Phase 1, which begins in SCTEx, traverses Tarlac, Zaragoza, and Aliaga, and ends in Cabanatuan in Nueva Ecija. It will begin construction next month.

“Kapag po nakumpleto ito, mapapabilis po nito ang biyahe mula Tarlac hanggang Cabanatuan City, kung saan makikinabang ang 11,200 motorista kada araw,” he said.

The government is also building an alternate route to Region II, which will traverse Aurora, Quirino and Nueva Ecija, he said, noting that upon completion, motorists no longer need to use the Dalton Pass, which is prone to landslides and earthquakes. (PND/PCOO)