Agusan Del Sur Governor Santiago Cane, Jr. | PHOTO: Official Fb web page of the Province of Agusan del Sur
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan Del Sur — Governor Santiago Cane, Jr. has urged the youth in his province to take up agriculture not solely as a chance for a brilliant future but additionally to develop the agriculture sector in landlocked Agusan del Sur.
“I encourage our youth to take up agricultural programs,” stated Cane throughout his fifth State of the Province tackle (Sopa) on the Datu Lipus Makapandong DO Plaza Sports activities Advanced on July 19 right here.
“This isn’t solely a chance to your future but additionally for the event of the agricultural sector in our province via science, expertise, and innovation,” he added.
Cane, who helped arrange the state-of-the-art soils laboratory to modernize farming within the province, urged younger farmers to make use of the newest accessible applied sciences to modernize agriculture and assist drive the financial progress of the province within the coming years.
Whereas Agusan del Sur has important potential in agriculture, it’s not sufficient to rely solely on conventional farming strategies, the governor stated.
“Modernizing native agricultural practices is crucial to totally harness this potential,” he added.
On the forefront of the provincial authorities’s efforts to modernize farming is the state-of-the-art soils laboratory, a undertaking undertaken in partnership with the Australian Centre for Worldwide Agricultural Analysis.
At the moment, in its first part, the soils laboratory is already 75 p.c full and is predicted to be absolutely operational in 2025.
Cane additionally highlighted the significance of the soil checks to spice up farm productiveness, cut back farm prices, and enhance farmers’ earnings.
Regardless of the fee, these checks will decide the presence or absence of 16 important microelements within the soil, the governor stated.
These microelements are very important for attaining larger yields at decrease prices, thereby making farm manufacturing extra worthwhile whereas making certain the long-term well being of the province’s soils.
“To maintain up with the calls for of the occasions, we have to tailor-fit our agricultural system to the newest applied sciences and improvements,” Cane stated.
The Governor additionally established the Sustainable Provincial Agro-Trade Useful resource Middle (SPARC) in Mabuhay Village in Bayugan Metropolis to assist modernize agriculture and increase farm productiveness within the province.
“This SPARC facility will function an innovation hub, benefiting farmers, micro, small, and medium enterprises, customers, vacationers, and native industries,” he stated.
On prime of those initiatives, the provincial authorities has carried out a scholarship program for a Grasp’s Diploma in Soil Science and Crop Safety via Sangguniang Panlalawigan Ordinance No. 730.
There are at the moment 5 students anticipated to finish their research in 2026, and the provincial authorities continues to simply accept purposes for these grants annually.
“This can be a important step in strengthening and increasing our data of soil well being growth to assist our farmers enhance manufacturing at decrease prices,” Cane stated.
The governor additionally cited the initiatives of the province’s two congressional districts to safe a complete of P2.6 billion for the rehabilitation of the Daang Maharlika Nationwide Freeway. The 150-kilometer stretch from Trento city within the south to Sibagat city within the north had been criticized for its potholes and cracks.