DA identifies area for phase 1 of $1-B food security plan

Close to 18,500 hectares of logged over areas have been identified for the first phase of the $1-billion food security program between the government and corporate giants San Miguel Corp. (SMC) and the Kuok Group.

The identified areas are in Davao del Norte where the first phase of the project would hopefully be implemented soon.

The area, totaling 18,494 hectares, lies within four municipalities. It will comprise the first phase of the one million hectares of land being eyed for agricultural production by SMC and the Kuok Group in support of President Arroyo’s food security agenda, Philippine Agricultural Development and Commercial Corp. (PADCC) president Marriz Agbon said.

Agbon, who also heads the Convergence Initiative Technical Secretariat of the “Feeding the Future” program, said the initiative would initially cover the municipalities of Kapalong with 3,246 hectares; San Isidro, 5,860 hectares; Talaingod, 7,860 hectares; and New Corella, 1,552 hectares, of a total project area of 18,494 hectares.

The identified areas have high rainfall throughout the year, have clay loam to sandy loam soil, thus making the area an ideal site for plantation development, Agbon said.

“The subject areas are logged-over areas. These are classified as open or barren land,” Agbon said in a report to Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap.

“The area is a potential site for upland Agro-forestry development,” Agbon said.

SMC and the Kuok group have committed to jointly develop one million hectares of lands to be pinpointed by the government as suitable for food production.

Agbon said food production under the “Feeding our Future” venture will cover grains and vegetables as well as meat and dairy products.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the project was signed last year by SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang and Kuok Group chairman Robert Kuok.

President Arroyo, Yap and other government officials witnessed the signing of the MOU.

Under the MOU, SMC and the Kuok Group would provide the “financing, technical support and management for agricultural crop production.”

SMC and the Kuok Group would purchase the farm produce in the covered areas at “guaranteed production off-take” terms through separate procurement agreements with the various agricultural producers that would be involved in the project.

The DA would provide technical assistance to the project such as determining the suitable crops for planting in the identified areas and providing the appropriate agricultural extension services to the would-be farmer-beneficiaries.