BUTUAN CITY -- The Modernized Agriculture Facility of Agusan del Sur has recently yielded its first harvest of lettuce through a ceremonial harvesting facilitated by the Provincial Agriculture Office.

The facility is a project funded under the Department of Agriculture (DA)–Caraga’s Bayanihan II program and costs a total of P3 million. The establishment is located within the provincial capitol grounds.

The Modernized Agriculture Facility features a Hydroponics System, agriculture greenhouse, and a Nursery with Automated Fertigation System. It also has a component of a season-long training that will run for 16 weeks. 

Provincial Agriculturist Armando Valiente shared that the facility serves as a show window of various modern agricultural technologies that can further help develop the agriculture sector. He said that it aims to establish a resilient food system to ensure food availability and accessbility, promote urban agriculture, and provide an opportunity for farmers to generate income. 

Agusan del Sur Provincial Governor Santiago B. Cane said that they will definitely sustain the project. He said the program which will ensure food availability will help solve the problem on hunger and malnutrition.  He also said he will encourage all municipalities of the province to have the same facility in their areas.

On the other hand, DA–Caraga Regional Technical Director Rebecca R. Atega commended Agusan del Sur for being the first to harvest their planted crops in the facility despite being the last to start the establishment of the facility. He also assured Governor Cane that the Department will continue to support the endeavors of the Local Government Units for the development of agriculture in the region.  

The harvested lettuce was then sold at P120 per kilo. (DA-Caraga/PIA-Agusan del Sur)