NEW CLARK CITY, Tarlac — Department of Agriculture (DA) inked a Memorandum of Agreement with Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) to establish an inclusive agri-business hub in New Clark City (NCC).
DA’s Agro-industrial Business Corridors (ABC) project aims to attract more investments in the agriculture sector.
DA Secretary William Dar stressed the agency’s vision to upgrade equipment and game plan to contribute to the country’s economic growth as it seeks to introduce innovative agricultural technology to farmers and provide them access to quality seeds.
“We want to work out what are the component strategies that will make it possible for this country, really being an agriculture country, to unleash its potential as a major pillar of the economy,” he emphasized.
The first phase of the project will involve putting up the first National Seed Technology Park in a seven-hectare land.
It will include a seed laboratory and mini-seed production farms that will allow the development of all types of seed varieties to ensure access to high-yielding seeds.
Similarly, BCDA President and CEO Vince Dizo recognized the project’s important role in agricultural sustainability of the country.
“The Agro-Industrial Business Corridor is critical not just for Clark but for the entire country because agricultural sustainability is really the cornerstone, not just of this government, but of the entire country and of governments to come,” Dizon noted.
Other components of the first phase of development include incubation hubs, a Project Management Office, and other institutional developments of the DA.
NCC agribusiness hub is also seen to complement the planned Clark Fresh Food Market in the Clark Civil Aviation Complex, which aims to integrate post-harvest facilities and target niche markets for organic produce, halal-certified goods, and premium quality food products.