August 22, 2007

SEAFDEC to set up freshwater fish caging demo farm in Philippine province

About 36 farmers will benefit from a freshwater fish caging demonstration farm about to set up by the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre (SEAFDEC) at Barangay Tumalalud in Dumarao town in Capiz province. 

Engineer Julieta Gallardo, Public Information Officer of National Irrigation Administration in Capiz said the project will provide an alternative livelihood to farmers that have been affected by back flow of an irrigation dam.

The demo farm will cultivate tilapia, bangus (milkfish), shrimp and big head carp.

Provincial Agriculturist Sylvia dela Cruz said that the fish caging project is part of the province's fisheries development program as included in its three-year development agenda.

Recently, the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced that the fisheries sub-sector emerged anew as the year's chief growth driver for the farm sector contributing to the sustained increase in the country's agriculture in the first two quarters of 2007. 
 

The value of farm production rose 5.19 per cent from P443.6 billion (US$9.53 billion) in the first half of 2006 to P466.7 billion (US$10.03 billion) for the same period this year.

The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics also reported fisheries topped the list of gainers, with commercial fisheries growing an impressive 10.8 percent during the first quarter of 2007 period. Municipal fisheries registered a 6.92 percent growth, while aquaculture posted an output increase of 5.77 percent, he added.

At current prices, the fishery sub-sectors generated P9.18 billion (US$197.39 million) worth of gross output, up by 12.26 percent from last year's record.