by Ericson Guiao, PSO North Luzon Writer

Recognizing the importance of advancing the development of the agri-fishery sector, various stakeholders from the Cagayan Valley region pledged their commitment and support to the enhanced Provincial Commodity Investment Plans (PCIP) during the Commodity Investment Plan forum held in Cauayan City, Isabela on September 17, 2024.

These stakeholders include the Provincial Local Government Units (PLGUs) of Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and CPMIU Santiago, National Government Agencies (NGAs), State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), and the private sector.

As part of this pledge, they affirmed their commitment to collaborate in the implementation of the PCIP to ensure the successful realization of its objectives in raising incomes, productivity, climate resiliency, and competitiveness of each of the provinces.

Likewise, they also commit to utilizing their respective capacities to maximize the synergy among various players of the value chains that are being prioritized in the enhanced PCIP.

Currently, the Cagayan Valley region has 31 priority commodities, 16 of which have Value Chain Analysis (VCA) and were translated into PCIP, two with ongoing VCA preparation, and 13 without VCA.

The enhanced PCIP of Batanes province includes four priority commodities, namely, garlic, sweet potato, onion, and beef cattle. Cagayan province’s PCIP covers 11 commodities, including dairy carabao, mango, white corn, aromatic/pigmented rice, peanut, citrus, beef cattle, goat, pineapple, swine/hog, and banana.

The Isabela province PCIP includes nine commodities, namely, banana, pineapple, mango, tilapia, dairy, white corn, rice, beef cattle, and mungbean, while Nueva Vizcaya’s PCIP covers 11 commodities, including aromatic/pigmented rice, onion, pineapple, mandarin, tomato, coffee, ginger, sweet potato, white corn, swine/hog, and banana.

Meanwhile, the Quirino Province PCIP has five priority commodities, namely, coffee, banana, tomato, beef cattle, and aromatic/pigmented rice. Lastly, the City of Santiago PCIP includes eight commodities, they are tilapia, dairy carabao, peanut, beef cattle, mungbean, mango, swine/hog, and aromatic/pigmented rice.

With commitment from these stakeholders, whose contribution to the development of the value chain of the priority commodities is important, the DA-PRDP is poised to continually achieve its goal of raising the incomes of farmers and fisherfolk in the countryside.

The Provincial or City Investment Plan (P/CCIP) is a three-year rolling consensus plan reflecting agreements between the DA and Provincial/City LGUs with strong participation of various stakeholders. It outlines potential investment areas, prioritizes commodities, and suggests interventions to improve value chains, boosting local economies and reducing rural poverty. ###