Tubod, Lanao del Norte - To provide additional income for residents living below the poverty line, the provincial government of Lanao del Norte is promoting various livelihood programs particularly agriculture-based projects.

On February 18, 2011, the Lanao del Norte LGU through its Agriculture Office presented various livelihood projects during its workshop at Macapagal Training Center, Tubod, this province. The training was participated by farmer organizations, fishermen, municipal agricultural officers and local public officials from the 10 coastal towns of Lanao del Norte.

Providing additional technical support for the participants is the National Food Authority (NFA).

During the workshop, the participants also assessed the impact of government’s agriculture initiatives and drafted a medium-term plan until the year 2016.

Among the projects evaluated were the on-going mariculture park and aqua-tourism projects which were launched in the municipality of Kolambugan and replicated in the other coastal areas of the province.

In the techo-demo, the latest technology on how to culture hybrid fishes like Lapu-lapu were taught to the fisherfolks.

The fishermen were also given hands-on training on how to make fish cages.

“This provincial initiative is aimed at our local fishermen and private individuals or groups who are interested to invest in income-generation projects. We hope they will implement in their towns the technology they learned here today”, Provincial Agriculturist Letecia Ditucalan said.

Other projects discussed were coffee production, grains processing and organic rice farming. LAR-PIO/LDN