Tubod, Lanao del Norte – To hasten the rehabilitation of the rice-producing towns of Lanao del Norte devastated by recent torrential rains, the Department of Agriculture led by Secretary Proceso “Procy” J. Alcala personally turned-over 600 bags of certified rice seeds to Governor Khalid Dimaporo as farm input for the affected farmers.


The turn-over ceremony was made during the visit of Secretary Alcala in Lanao del Norte on January 27, 2011.


“His (Secretary Alcala) visit shows the people of Lanao del Norte how much the national government is

interested in our development. Being an agricultural province, to us Secretary Alcala is the most important Cabinet member”, Governor Dimaporo said.


Upon his arrival, the DA Secretary immediately met with town mayors and farmer leaders of the province for a dialogue meeting on the best way to address the agricultural concerns of local farmers.


Secretary Alcala lauded the provincial government’s initiative to promote organic farming in the province since it will “ensure soil fertility, increased production, reduce pollution, and bring about a cleaner environment.”


Governor Dimaporo has tasked the Provincial Agriculture Office to spearhead the promotion of organic farming among the rice farmers considering that harvest yield of organically grown rice can now equal the harvest yield of rice conventionally grown.


Secretary Alcala is the author of the Organic Agricultural Act of 2010 during his time as the congressional representative of Quezon Province.


The DA Secretary also encouraged to local chief executives of the coastal towns particularly the municipality of Sultan Naga Dimaporo (SND) to further enhance the profitability of its aquaculture projects by farming sea cucumbers beneath their fish cages.  


In his two-day tour of the province, Secretary Alcala visited the LFI dairy farm and milk processing facilities at SND to inaugurate its newly created Cheese line and the Dairy Farm 1 and 2 milking parlors.


Also present to welcome Secretary Alcala are former congressman Abdullah Dimaporo, 1st District Representative Imelda Quibranza-Dimaporo and 2nd District Representative Fatima Aliah Dimaporo.


Alcala is the first cabinet member to visit Lanao del Norte under the new administration of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. VNL/PIO-LDN