Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has ordered a nationwide adoption of a corn-based farmer-scientists research, development and extension-training program to liberate upland farmers from hunger and poverty, said the presidential palace on Sunday.
Arroyo said in an executive order that adoption of the program is part of government plan to develop at least 2 million hectares of new agribusiness lands, including 280,250 hectares of new areas for corn production, which are tilled by more than 20 million poor upland farmers dependent on corn grits for food and do not have enough grain for consumption.
She said the program integrates agricultural research and development, and seeks to help poor corn farmers grow multiple crops and livestock to boost their income.
The program, which was first piloted in Cebu in 1994 and has since expanded to Negros Oriental, Leyte, Occidental Mindoro and Compostela Valley in central and southern Philippines, has raised the poor farmers' income by more than 100 percent, given them more than enough corn for food with a surplus for sale and enabled them to produce vegetables, fruits and livestock, said Arroyo.
The nationwide implementation of such a program would be jointly implemented by the Agriculture, Agrarian Reform, Environment, Science and Interior departments, University of the Philippines-Los Banos food research institute, state universities and colleges and other agencies, she said.
According to latest surveys, the population living in poverty has increased by about 4 million from 2003 to 2006, while more than 30 percent of Filipinos are living with less than 2 U.S. dollars a day.
Source:Xinhua
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