Pangasinan remains top food producer in Region 1

Source: interaksyon.com

LINGAYEN - The province of Pangasinan remains the leading producer of food, particularly agricultural products and fish, throughout the Ilocos Region.
Gov. Amado Espino Jr. said Pangasinan contributes about 65 percent of the total rice production in the whole region and is the third rice-producing province in the whole country next to Nueva Ecija and Isabela.
In 2013, the province posted an average rice harvest of 4.53 metric tons per hectare, which is higher than the 4.45 metric tons for the whole region, and the 3.39 metric tons for the whole country.
The other provinces in Region 1 are La Union, Ilocos Sur, and Ilocos Norte.
"Our rice production can substantially grow bigger if we succeed in securing the needed P2.65 billion funds for the completion of the proposed extension of the Agno River Irrigation Project (ARIP), which has a projected service area of 12,894 hectares, " the governor said.
The project has been endorsed by the National Irrigation Administration for approval of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) board.
This is in addition to smaller irrigation projects in other areas which have a combined potential service area of at least 20,000 hectares, Espino said.
At the same time, Pangasinan is among the top five corn-producing provinces with a total production of 319,875.31 metric tons in 2013, and a productivity level of 6.25 metric tons per hectare.
This is higher than the 5.59 metric tons per hectare in the whole region, and the national average of 5.04 metric tons.
Pangasinan, with a total production of 108,496 metric tons of mangoes in 2013, is still the leading producer of quality mangoes in Region 1, contributing 80 percent of the regional output.
As for vegetables, Pangasinan accounts for 80 percent of the production in the whole region.
Pangasinan also contributes 80 percent of the region's fish production in 2013.
The province accounts for 96.3 percent of the regional production in bangus (milkfish), and 23.4 percent of the total national output.