ASEAN INTEGRATION 2015

Tomato

The vegetable farmers of Cannery Site grow different vegetables.  They utilize a portion of the vacant area of two hectares intended for a marketplace. Previously DARBC has donated six hectares of land to the LGU of Barangay Cannery Site. These vegetable farmers as well as other farmers in the whole country will face the ASEAN Integration of the economy by 2015 if it will push through as planned by the Asean Economic Community (AEC). AEC envisions an economy that has the characteristics of (a) a single market and production base, (b) a highly competitive economic region, (c) a region of equitable economic development, and (d) region fully integrated into the global economy.  

                                                                                                          

Will our farmers be competitive to face the influx of foreign agricultural products that has no tariffs?  The problem of our farmers is their high production costs that obligate them to sell at a higher price.  Farm inputs like fertilizer and insecticides burden our farmers.  To counter these problems organic farming can be developed which are known to increase productivity and reduce farming expenses. 

If we can do this I believe we can bravely face the challenge of the ASEAN Integration 2015.

East-West personnel giving on-the-spot orientation
at the barangay demo farm