Dumaguete turns to urban farming as agri areas diminish

WITH THE decreasing land area for agriculture, the Dumaguete City Agriculture Office (CAO) has launched an urban farming program using containerized farming technology in eight barangays. City Agriculturist William E. Ablong said the project has a funding support of P500,000 from the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD). Dumaguete City now has only about 948 hectares for crops and vegetables, down from as much as 3,362 hectares, he told The Freeman. The remaining area could also still be diminished with construction projects and commercial conversions, he added. Under the urban farming program, residents will be taught not just the planting technology but also how to make organic fertilizers, out of kitchen wastes to help reduce the volume of biodegradables going to the dumpsite at Barangay Candau-ay. — The Freeman