An agri-industrial business corridor (ABC) for freshwater aquaculture and urban farming in Taguig will be built soon in partnership with the city government and Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The DA said an agreement was signed to start the 10-year project with an initial funding of P300 million from Bayanihan 2.
Under the joint project, LLDA will provide two hectares of land on C-6 road where several facilities will be constructed. An aquaculture park will be developed and opened to cooperatives and private enterprises in an adjacent 15-hectare lakeshore area.
Four DA agencies will be tapped to implement the project.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will provide technical assistance and inputs for milkfish, tilapia, shrimp and ayungin fingerlings for floating fish cages that will be installed at the 15-hectare aquaculture park. The cages will then be maintained by the city fisherfolk and members of the City Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council.
BFAR will also establish a satellite office at the project site to provide technical assistance, conduct training and help organize and cluster existing fisherfolk organizations while also conducting regular water quality assessment and overall monitoring and evaluation of the project.
The Philippine Fisheries Development Authority will construct a fish landing wharf or jetty with a warehouse and cold storage facility while the Bureau of Plant Industry will undertake a mushroom button production facility and an integrated commercial bamboo project.
The Bureau of Soils and Water Management will construct a water hyacinth composting facility to support urban farming and a bamboo oxygen park.
DA Secretary William Dar said the project will provide Metro Manila consumers with adequate and reasonably-priced food, particularly bangus, tilapia, mushrooms and vegetables.
Dar also suggested the establishment of a fish and food market near the Taguig ABC, where fisherfolk could directly sell their harvest to institutional buyers and consumers.
“While we maintain a sustainable environment in the Laguna Lake, this Taguig agri-industrial hub could provide part of the food requirements of Metro Manila. Hence, for this project, we have to do a balancing act. We need to produce enough food and see to it that fishing cages must be properly laid out so these will not contribute to the pollution of the lake,” Dar added.
The Taguig ABC is the country’s second project of its kind following the first in New Clark City where the National Seed Technology Park will be built in partnership with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority.
