The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Tourism (DOT) are promoting farm tourism for the recovery of the sectors they oversee.
Farm tourism helps develop farming and fishing communities and provides employment and livelihood to other rural folk, women and youth in agri-tourism sites, according to DA Secretary William Dar. DOT Secretary Bernadette Puyat said farm tourism is “a good bounce-back strategy.”
The collaboration will networking farm tourism sites to markets and restaurants so they can sell their fresh, farm produce at better prices.
The DA will five additional funds to the Regional Integrated Agricultural Research Centers so they can refurbish and modernize their facilities, beautify their grounds and demonstration plots, and more showcase the best technologies to farmers, entrepreneurs, hobbyists, students and tourists, Dar said.
Food processors will also be included in the network to boost the production of high-value agriculture products.
The DA has issued Administrative Order 27 to institutionalize farm consolidation and clustering programs to attain economies of scale to enable more farmers, fishers and agripreneurs produce and earn more.
