Philippines: Groups to plant 1M fruit trees in Central Luzon

The Kapampangan Development Foundation (KDF), in cooperation with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Agriculture, are now responding to the need for alternative livelihood and a more beneficial way of combating climate change through its "1 Million Fruit Tree Project."

KDF president Benigno Ricafort said that the planting of a million fruit trees is a 10-year project and seen as sustainable agricultural initiative for Central Luzon communities.

Ricafort said that their group envisions seeing Central Luzon as the "Fruit Tree Region" of Luzon.

Ricafort said that around 600 individuals have initially attended a one-day seminar on fruit tree nurseries, bee-keeping and mushroom growing hosted by KDF. After the fruit tree nursery training, those who participated decided to set up KDF satellite nurseries, according to KDF.

The group has been in constant coordination to pursue the plan, and KDF is set to get accreditation from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI). The KDF will monitor the nurseries with the help of the policies and guidelines set by BPI.

Ricafort said that the fruit tree project classifies fruit tree distribution according to area. The group is targeting 300,000 for carabao mangoes, 100,000 for rambutan and 100,000 for longkong (a Thailand variety of lansones) in various areas of Central Luzon.

KDF sees the program as a long-term sustainable development for the agriculture sector here and to develop lands for better agriculture production. The program also aims to establish market support systems for the selling and marketing of the products as well as the public-private-partnership (PPP) models to be utilized.

KDF is inviting partners and stakeholders to be part of the program.
Aside from these, KDF has been hosting series of free seminars and livelihood training programs.

KDF was established by Kapampangans living outside of Pampanga to provide development, medical, and social programs for Pampanga. KDF, with its operations base at the Jose A. Datu Medical Center, has been able to facilitate the distribution of hundreds of leg prosthesis to amputees of Pampanga; provide dozens of reconstructive facial surgeries, and cataract operations to indigents.

All of the seminars provided by KDF are free.

source: sunstar.com.ph