AGLIPAY, Quirino—Governor Junie Cua has opposed the increasing conversion of forests into corn or rice farms which he described as “very detrimental” to the environment.
Cua said rapid urbanization among other factors have pushed planters to do sloping agriculture across upland reservations.
“Forest lands in the province are now becoming corn and rice plantations–an unsustainable source of income and a great cause of environmental degradation, loss of forest cover, loss of biodiversity and destruction of our watershed areas,” he said.
Cua commended the partnership with local and foreign groups to help agricultural communities become productive without sacrificing forest lands.
He led a recent public hearing and groundbreaking of the Quirino Integrated Agricultural Development Project (QIADP), a joint venture with the Korean International Cooperation Agency.
Cua said the package involved improving the income of residents through the Quirino Livelihood for Everyone or Q-LIFE while reducing the incidence of poverty.
He said modules included agroforestry, mushroom spawn production, establishment of agricultural credit, construction of feed mill and road development.
At least six barangays are piloting in QIAPDP-KOICA project in Gukac and Isidro Paredes of Diffun and Diodol, Palacian, Pinaripad Sur as well as Cabugao in Aglipay to benefit at least 162 households.
At least four barangays in Aglipay are devoted to a agroforestry model inside the watershed reservation while two barangays of Diffun opted for mushroom culture because villagers have hands-on experience in spawn propagation.
Last year, Deputy Project Director Elma S. Mananes of the Program Support Office (PSO) commended Cua for boosting a sustainable coffee industry with the aid of the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP).
She recognized the local government units’ (LGUs) role in realizing the PRDP’s objective to uplift the agri-fishery sector.