With the Department of Agriculture’s goal of strengthening public-private partnership, the High-Value Crops Development Program has assisted the Municipal Local Government Unit of Limay, Bataan, in expanding its agricultural activities initially through the “Limay Zero Kilometer Food Project” or the “Limay 0KM.”, the “Limay Invests for Farmers’ Triumph” or the “LIFT Project” and establishment of a strategically located KADIWA Bagsakan Center.

To formalize the collaboration, a meeting was held to finalize the details for the activity wherein top officials of the Department of Agriculture, the provincial and municipal government, and the private sector will witness the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that will cover the 20-hectare banana plantation for contract growing, the Limay 0KM. and the establishment of a Kadiwa Bagsakan Center (trading post).

With the Limay 0KM., the local government will be guided to understand the municipality’s food demand and supply so that its policymakers can provide concrete and sustainable solutions to the municipality’s local food demand and supply. The Limay 0KM. is part of the HVCDP-NPMO’s strategies to ensure a stable food supply of high-value crops to prevent the lack of, insufficient, or over supply of high-value crops locally. Through this project, fresh and locally-produced agricultural commodities become more accessible to consumers at affordable prices while enabling farmers to increase their income by minimizing the “traveling” of their produce that unnecessarily adds up to their production and marketing costs.

Hence, the establishment of the KADIWA Bagsakan Center in the Municipality will provide a venue for the farmers to sell directly to the consumers, resulting to a win-win situation for both the farmers and the buyers.

On the other hand, for the initial implementation of the LIFT Project, a 20-hectare land will be developed for the contract growing of lacatan bananas, which is a partnership among the Municipal Local Government Unit of Limay, the Limayan farmers and the private sector buyer, Mensch Fil-Am Corporation that already identified suitable areas for production in Limay, Bataan. Mensch Fil-Am Corp will contribute to the implementation of the project through technical assistance, monitoring of production, and as the buyer of the produce.

Present in the meeting were Vice Mayor Richie Jason D. David, OIC Municipal Agriculturist Joselito Galicia, Engr. Jeremie Sagrado of the Limay Agriculture Office and Atty. Joycel R. Panlilio, Jose Jeffrey Rodriguez, and Dea Ann Alita of the High-Value Crops Development Program National Program Management Office.

© Jeff Rodriguez – HVCDP PMO