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BACOLOD CITY: The City of Victorias in Negros Occidental will craft a food and security master plan this year based on the results of an impact assessment of its existing agriculture programs in partnership with a private agri-business organization.
On Tuesday, AGREA Agricultural Systems International Inc. facilitated data gathering and engagement for beneficiaries, including local farmers and fisherfolk.
In a statement, Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez said the six-month partnership with AGREA will allow the city to develop strategies to create a food security and nutrition master plan.
‘We have allocated three times bigger budget for agriculture this year. Victorias needs all the help it can get,’ he said.
Based on the memorandum of agreement forged between the local government unit (LGU) and AGREA on Jan. 5, the impact assessment will focus on the existing agricultural programs of the city relevant to food and nutrition security.
It will analyze program implementation and outcomes, formulate recommendation
s to improve programs, help develop a strategic plan, and implement roadmap and policies.
The results could provide valuable insights into enhancing the city’s food and nutrition security projects and rationalizing efforts through a strategic plan and policy roadmap.
The partnership will ultimately assist farmers and fisherfolk and uphold community nutrition and resilience with its target to develop food systems.
‘We promise to guide the LGU in making its existing natural resources more investable and build Victorias as the center for food security and agri-business,’ Cherrie Atilano, president and chief executive officer of AGREA, said in a statement.
Earlier, Benitez met with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., who assured him of assistance to the agriculture initiatives of the city, such as the provision of an irrigation system, farm-to-market roads and farm machinery, as well as the setting up of a fertilizer demonstration farm.
Victorias City, located in the northern part of Negros Occi
dental, is home to Victorias Milling Company, the largest refined sugar producer in the country.
Source: Philippines News Agency
