LEGAZPI CITY, July 13 (PIA)-- This city government is stepping up its programs to boost food security through agriculture and the production of local resources to address the looming food crisis looms due to the increasing production cost.

“We are preparing for the food crisis. Legazpi City must be one step ahead. For now, we have the Government on Hunger-Malnutrition Interventions and Expansion or the GHIE Food Program as our banner food program,” City Veterinarian Dr. Emmanuel Estipona said.

Aimed at achieving food security in the city, Estipona said the GHIE program will be implemented through initiatives for direct and immediate and long-term interventions and the expansion of current programs.

Eggs distribution, feeding programs, and community pantries are part of the direct and immediate interventions.

ROSAL Chicken

Under the long-term initiatives, Estipona cited the Range and Organic System Alternative Livelihood (ROSAL) Chicken, Save Hogs Repopulation, Restocking and Recovery Program and Genetic Improvement and Enhancement (GIE) Project for Livestock and Poultry and other upcoming livelihood programs.

“These coming months, we are planning for massive dispersal of about 7,000 – 10,000 ROSAL chicken to the 70 barangays in the city. These are free-range chicken that are not feed-intensive unlike the broilers or 45 days chicken that are dependent on feeds,” he said.

“With the feeds comprising 80% of production cost for broilers, reduction to at least 50% through free-range chicken can be of big help to increase the income of our farmers,” he added.

To avail of this program, the farmer must undergo a training and sign the contract to ensure sustainable production.

For now, 2,000 incubator capacity is open for free at the LCVO to boost hatching and egg production.

Lowered live meat prices

The initiatives on hog recovery program from the impact of African Swine Flu has also paid off as the price of live meat was lowered from Php200 to Php160.

“We want to lower the prices of meat in Legazpi City since it is one of the major drivers of inflation in food commodities. We are aiming for at least 90% pregnancy in our F1 or breeder pigs distributed to various farmers,” he said.

Local production of organic fertilizer

With the continuing surge in fertilizer prices, Estipona calls for support to local production of organic fertilizer.

This include vermiculture or worm composting as one of the priorities for expansion program to mitigate the looming food crisis. 

“We are aiming for endless production of organic fertilizers in households through vermiculture. One kilo of composting worms costs Php1,000 – Php2,000 per kilo, but we will be giving it for free to help in the production of vermicast which is a high-grade organic fertilizer,” he said.

With the rising cost of fertilizers, Estipona noted the need for sustained local production of organic fertilizers starting from kitchen wastes in households to utilization of organic matter in slaughterhouses, citing the Legazpi City Abattoir as the first in the region to utilize biogas technology.

The biogas digester utilizes 1.5 tons daily of biodegradable wastes from swine slaughtering to mitigate public health hazards and environmental degradation by converting the waste to fuel for the abattoir’s boiler system, saving Php 1 million worth of annual expense from diesel fuel.

Estipona also calls for intensified household and community gardens in the barangays, citing the TUPAD beneficiaries as partners not only in community cleaning but also in planting and growing fruits and vegetables as accessible local sources of healthy and nutritious food. (PIA5/Albay)