Farmers should plant demanded crops – Imi

FARMERS should plant crops that are in demand in the market, said the senator. Maria Imelda Josefa “Imi” Marcos said.

Marcos held a dialogue to get an update with the beneficiaries of the Young Farmers Challenge and Enhanced Kadiwa financial aid program at Pampanga State Agricultural University on March 16.

“Dapat kung ano ang in demand sa market, ‘yun ang itatanim ninyo (You must plant what is in demand in the market),” she said.

In addition, Marcos cited pinakbet and chopsway as an example, in which she encouraged farmers to plant vegetables in pinakbet instead of vegetables in chopsway.

“Ang baba ng presyo ng mga gulay pang pinakbet at ang taas ng presyo ng mga gulay panghopsuey. Kaya mag-level up na from pinakbet to Chopsuey (Pinakbet vegetable prices are low and chopsuey vegetable prices are high. So we must climb from the pinakbet to the chopsway),” she said.

The Young Farmers Challenge and Enhanced Kadiwa are both Department of Agriculture (DA) Senator Financial Assistance initiatives.

According to the DA, “The Young Farmers Fund is a competitive grant-based financial assistance program for young people who will be involved in new agribusinesses. The program is open to all interested young people with proposed agri-fishing businesses with the potential for profitability.”

It added: “Grants should serve as seed money for a planned agri-fishing enterprise run by individual youth or a group-run enterprise.”

According to the Office of Public Affairs of the President, “The government is banking on the innovation and out-of-the-box ideas of young Filipinos to ensure food sustainability as well as create agribusiness opportunities across the country.