Provincial Agricultural Officer Norma Lagmay announced on June 28, 2005 the presence of Korean experts here in the province to help the Agriculture Office for a two-year period in the areas of horticulture and mariculture. The Korean Embassy, have approved the release of two million pesos for this purpose and that construction of a fish nursery worth P800, 000 at Nalbo, Pasuquin have already started. “The nursery will be used for the culture of our native hito or catfish and is expected to start operation in December,” she said. “The facility is provided with a roof top allowing the uninterrupted breeding even during the rainy seasons,” she added. The agriculture officer explained that the lack of supply of said fish in the province is causing the steep price of P100 to P120. “Under the law of supply and demand we are optimistic that when we start production it will relatively decrease the prices,” Lagmay said. The agriculture officer said that they have already identified their target market in restaurants like the well known Fort Ilocandia Resort and Hotel. Also, an orchidarium was erected at the Agriculture compound to accommodate the tissue culture of various orchid species and the horticulturist who came ahead of his fellow experts have already started buying stocks, she said. It was learned that other on–going aquaculture projects of the Provincial Agriculture office include seaweed farming in Badoc, Currimao, Pasuquin and Bangui and poly-culture or rice farming of combined prawn and tilapia in Dingras.
Aleli Aggasid-Batara
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