Aklan Agriculture needs upgrading for ASEAN Integration

The agriculture industry in the province needs upgrading as Aklan prepares for the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Integration in 2015.

Aklan Rep. Teodorico Haresco said in an interview that they are currently soliciting the help of the Aklan State University (ASU) to boosts agricultural production in the province.

The ASU is considered a premier agriculture university not only in the province but also in Western Visayas region. The Congressional District Office is allocating funds for the state university for their agricultural endeavor.

"We hope that the ASU would return to its original mandate of helping the province boosts the agriculture industry," said Haresco.

A report of the Department of Agriculture indicate that the province needs further boosts for the agriculture because of the increasing food demand. The lack of agriculture supply is being attributed to the growing tourism industry in Boracay Island.

Currently, the province consumed at least 6,000 heads of chickens daily. Chickens are being sourced out from nearby province of Capiz and Iloilo.

"The same is true for tomatoes where we source it out from nearby Mindoro and other provinces," said Haresco.

The need to boost the agricultural production also corresponds to the global report that food security must boost by 70 percent by 2050.