By Leilanie Adriano/PNA
LAOAG CITY — Farmers in Piddig, Ilocos Norte are set to plant more garlic this year as the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 1 committed to deliver needed support system on garlic production.
Engr. Eduardo Guillen, former Piddig mayor and consultant to the Office of the Mayor, said Tuesday the town is ready to consolidate the 200-hectare garlic farm site in support of DA’s effort to revitalize the garlic industry.
Guillen said soil sampling will be conducted to determine garlic suitability in the identified areas before garlic planting season.
DA-1 regional executive director Lucrecio Alviar Jr. said Piddig town offers a huge potential for agribusiness as its local government unit is at the forefront of this development.
“This is more than PHP25 million worth of project and DA will provide planting materials and fertilizers for Piddig farmers,” Alviar said during his visit last week to Piddig town in time for the opening of its agrotourism farm and food factory school in Maruaya village.
This year, the DA, through the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP), is eyeing to increase garlic production, targeting 850-hectare expansion for garlic in various parts of the region.
An additional 100 hectares garlic expansion area will also be established in Bacarra town in the first district of Ilocos Norte.
Piddig town is also the country’s host to the first and largest national convergence program for coffee, with the development of about 1,200 hectares of upland and lowland coffee plantations planted with high grade Arabica, Excelsa and Liberica varieties.
