The Department of Agriculture and Agricultural Training Institute are set to lead the Farmers' and Fisherfolk's Month Culminating Activity on May 27, 2021.
DILIMAN, Quezon City—As the Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s Month comes to a close, partners from the public sector, private groups, and other organizations are set to join the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) as they lead two events to further the efforts in urban agriculture and family farming.
A Harvest Ceremony at the “ATIng Gulayan ng DA” Demonstration Site in Quezon City will be held as part of the Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s Month culminating activity to celebrate the achievements in the Urban Agriculture Program of the Department. The program is aimed at promoting the sustainable practice of home-based food production and household-level food security.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar and other DA officials will lead the harvest of vegetables and other crops at the site. A turnover of the harvested crops to the partner community of Lakas ng Nagkakaisang Kababaihan will be held after.
DA and ATI officials are also set to launch the Philippine Action Plan for Family Farming (PAP4FF). Leaders and representatives of international and local institutions are expected in the signing ceremony of the document which was developed in line with the declaration of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming.
The PAP4FF is a multi-stakeholder effort to create an altogether inclusive, participatory, and comprehensive blueprint to improve the productivity, competitiveness, and resilience of Filipino family farmers.
The Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s Month is held in May of every year by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 33 series of 1989. This year’s theme, “May pandemya man o wala, Magsasaka’t Mangingisda maaasahan ng bansa,” reinforces the role of farmers and fishers at the front seat of food security and sustainability with or without the emergence of COVID-19.
Senator Cynthia Villar, Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto, and Youth Ambassador for Food Security, James Reid will also take part in the culminating activity which will be streamed live on May 27, 9AM, via DA’s official Facebook page.