To intensify the promotion of its Urban Agriculture Program, the Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) forged partnership with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Southern Agro Export Corporation (SAGREX) on June 22, 2020.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar, together with SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio and SAGREX Vice President for Sales and Marketing Anthony Gerald Maranon, led the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement.

“We should bring in partners from the private sector in promoting and pursuing the Urban Agriculture Program so that we can make a difference in a big way in this time of pandemic,” said Secretary Dar.

As lead implementing agency of the program, DA-BPI has allocated funds for the provision of the starter kits, including agricultural inputs, technical assistance for the individual or household beneficiary, and establishment, as well as enhancement of barangay, community, school or university, and public office garden.

For their part, SEARCA and SAGREX will provide the required area for the establishment of the garden, assign people who will manage the garden and identify people who are going to be trained as trainers, maintain operation records on production and sales/utilization data and technologies developed/shared farm activities undertaken, farm visitors and trainees served, problems encountered, and other relevant accomplishments including photo documentation, and explore opportunities to sustain the operation of the urban gardens to be implemented, among others. (DA-AFID)