THE emerging patterns of farmers in Northern Mindanao to shift from planting traditional staple crops such as rice and corn to high value industrialized crops such as pineapples and bananas is worrying.
This was according to Misamis Oriental Gov. Peter Unabia during the weekly flag raising at the capitol November 25.
This, even as Unabia handed out financial aid to several tobacco farmers based in the province under the PMU-LEAP program which stands for Provincial Microfinance Unit – Livelihood for Economic Recovery and Acceleration Program.
During his speech after the event, Unabia disclosed that farmers from Alubijid and Claveria lamented to him that the farm gate of their produce has gone so low that they could not support their families any longer.
At this onset, Unabia told the farmers not to worry since he had already talked to the mayors of Cebu and Iloilo cities to buy the corn produce in Misamis Oriental.
The governor likewise dubbed as worrying the decision of farmers in Bukidnon to switch to industrial crops. Bukidnon is home to two multinational agri firms.
Unabia, who holds a key position in the Regional Development Council (RDC), announced that he has already talked to his counterpart Bukidnon Gov. Rogelio Neil Roque for the establishment of a so-called grains center to alleviate the plight of the farmers.
“Unsa na lang ato ipakaon sa ato mga manok ani, pinya ug saging?” Unabia said.
