In a gallant move to strengthen and expand support for the province’s coconut industry, the Provincial Government of Davao Oriental officially inked a strategic partnership with the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) on September 20, 2023, at the Provincial Agriculture Office, Mati City. Present during the momentous signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) were Governor Niño Sotero L. Uy, Jr., PCA Regional Manager Juvy T. Alayon, and Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Edito B. Sumile.
The said Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) outlines the shared interest and cooperation of the Provincial Government of Davao Oriental and the Philippine Coconut Authority in establishing a communal nursery and coconut seed farm in order to boost farm income and farm productivity for the benefit of the province’s coconut farmers and industry stakeholders.
The program aligns with PCA’s ongoing implementation of the Communal Nursery Establishment, a project component of the Coconut Hybridization Program under the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP), which aims to provide qualified coconut farmers and would-be coconut farmers with hybrid coconut seedlings for planting and replanting in their coconut farms.
Governor Uy conveyed his overflowing delight over this latest development and reaffirmed his support for the success of this effort. He emphasized how this is going to significantly boost the growth of the province’s coconut industry, particularly for the farmers who have been working diligently and are in need of all the government assistance possible.
Being an agricultural province with coconut as one of its major agricultural products, Governor Uy promised to continue advancing the welfare of the farmers in Davao Oriental. “This partnership demonstrates our steadfast dedication to continuously provide and strengthen support to our coconut farmers. The provincial government will continue to put in great effort to ensure that we provide them with the assistance they deserve,” the governor said.
The MOA will be in force for a period of seven months, subject to renewal for another seven months or a period under the same terms. By Francis Jay Butulan | Photos by JB Rain
