Pres. Agrupis: Sustainable farming is key to food security

By JOHN VINCENT B. TORIBIO

“To make sure that we will not run out of food as we continue to combat COVID-19, we must plant, plant, plant,” said MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis during the launching of a sustainable farming program in the university today.

Pres. Agrupis stressed that MMSU works very hard to address the high demand for food supply as communities continue to wrestle the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In crisis like this, we must maximize our resources to stay strong at the backline, as much as at the frontline; we have to channel out our Ilokano resiliency,” she said.

Dr. Agrupis led the university in launching the project dubbed as the Plant, Plant, Plant ditoy MMSU: Pangontra iti Epekto ti COVID-19 at the Farming Demonstration Area, west of the College of Agriculture Food and Sustainable Development (CAFSD) building.

Laborers, farmers and members of the Administrative Council participated in the ceremonial planting of eggplant, tomato, okra, pepper, pole sitao, and patola seeds and seedlings.

Harvest is expected after three months.

According to Dr. Carmelo Esteban, in-charge of the office of the vice president for research, extension and business, this effort is complementary to the Department of Agriculture’s Alon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat (ALPAS) Laban sa COVID-19 program which aims to meet the higher demand for food caused by the health crisis.

“As of now, the university is using internal funds to sustain this project, but we have already sought the support of DA and other involved agencies to make this initiative more fruitful,” he added.

Meanwhile, Vice President for Academic Affairs Prima Fe R. Franco said that MMSU has become a strategic ground for this initiative “because we have a wide area for sustainable farming."

“When there will be overproduction, the University will ration the harvest to MMSU’s extended communities,” she added.

This initiative is collaboratively supervised by the Office of the Vice President for Research, Extension and Business (REB), and the CAFSD.  

This farming effort is part of the MMSU Saranay Against COVID-19 program, the University’s multi-faceted effort in response to the emerging needs of the communities in fighting the coronavirus. (StratCom)

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