DA Sec Piñol asked to open Pangasinan’s ‘Umaani Expo 2017’

By Philippine News Agency

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol has been invited to open the “Umaani Expo 2017” to be held at the Pangasinan Provincial Nursery in Barangay Tebag, Sta. Barbara on March 28 to April 1

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol

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The five-day exposition, to be spearheaded by Governor Amado Espino III, will raise the curtains for Pangasinan’s mother of festivals, the “Pista’y Dayat” set along the shores of the province.

A wide array of the province’s farm and fish crops — from rice, corn, watermelon, mango to vegetables and from bangus, tilapia, gourami and catfish to the tasty carabeef will be displayed on booths during the exposition, said provincial agriculturist and chief event organizer Dalisay Moya.

“Umaani Expo 2017″ will also showcase latest farm technology innovations being used by the farming community, including upgraded services system of the provincial government to further improve the quality of crops yield and increase farmers’ income.

For the past three consecutive years, Pangasinan was acclaimed as one of the country’s top three achievers in rice and corn production.

To further boost agricultural production, Governor Espino has programmed as early as October, last year the installation of shallow deep wells with water pumps in rain-dependent farmlands as part of the provincial government’s intensified irrigation program.

He is continuing with the program of the past administration of his father, former Governor Amado Espino Jr., now fifth district congressman, which allocated PHP100 million for this initiative.

At the same time, the province’s agriculture office has also ventured into high-value mushroom and silage production, tilapia culture and food processing to put money in the hands of farmers..

An event to watch is the siling labuyo-eating contest to be complemented by eating competitions of ripe mango, onion and boiled sweet corn.

There will also be a search for the biggest tilapia, bangus, dalag, hito, gurami, mango, pakwan, tomato, squash, yellow corn and onion and the longest ampalaya, talong and patola which are abundant in Pangasinan.

Pangasinan remains as the undisputed foodbasket of northern Philippines.

A market encounter is also set in the expo to be joined by top food chains of Max’s group, Mama Sita’s, UBM Fresh One, Jollibee Food Corporation, Joyful Rice, Veggies Corporation and Heraclitis Enterprises. (PNA)