Building on the successful distribution of ginger seedlings to farmer-beneficiaries in Porac, Pampanga, and Taguig City, the Department of Agriculture-High Value Crops Development Program (DA-HVCDP) has now extended its efforts to Quezon City, providing 50 high-quality, disease-free ginger seedlings to urban farmers across all six districts. These seedlings were cultivated at the Nueva Vizcaya Experiment Research Station of DA-Regional Field Office II.
DA Undersecretary for High Value Crops, Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero, emphasized the vital role of urban agriculture in addressing food security and the rising costs of food in Metro Manila.
“Di’ba ang sabi natin ang mahal ng luya, kasing presyo ng karne ng baboy, so kapag inalagaan natin itong ginger seedlings na ito, mas mamumunga pa ito, hindi na natin kailangan pang bumili pa ng luya sa labas ng area natin,” she said during the distribution activity at Sunnyville Community Model Farm, Quezon City.
In her message, Usec. Caballero also commended Quezon City’s Ordinance No. SP-2972, Series of 2020, also known as the “Idle Land Use Ordinance,” which encourages landowners to convert unused land into urban agriculture spaces by offering tax exemptions for gardening or composting activities that last at least three years. The initiative, part of the city’s strategy to improve food security, promotes the use of vacant lots for personal or community food production.
“Sa urban agriculture, ang focus ng DA ay magkaroon ng production ng mga vegetables na usually mahal ang presyo sa market. Ito iyong mga vegetables na madalas ginagamit pangluto sa bahay. Aside sa production, siyempre, gusto rin natin kumita ang ating mga farmers,” she added.
Usec. Caballero expressed interest in the potential value-adding properties of ginger, noting that extracts from ginger leaves could be utilized for other products, such as in candle-making.
The event included a tree planting ceremony at the Sunnyville Community Farm. Aside from Usec. Caballero, Atty. Mark Anthony Aldave, District Action Officer of the Office of the Mayor of Quezon City, and Ms. Christina Perez, head of Joy of Urban Farming, participated in the said activity.
The Sunnyville Community Model Farm functions as a training hub for Quezon City residents, teaching them how to transform vacant lots into urban gardens within their neighborhoods.
“All graduates of the program have successfully replicated their learnings and applied them in their own communities, contributing to local food production and urban agriculture initiatives,” Atty. Aldave said. ### (Ira Y. Cruz, DA-AFID)
