08/10/2012 (Manila Bulletin) - The city government of Butuan opened the 11,000 hectares agricultural-rich lands to foreign or domestic investors or individuals for co-management scheme.

This wide area opened by the city government is suitable for agricultural plantations such as palm oil, abaca, falcate, corn, pineapple, cassava and other agricultural crops and planted tree species.

In the first number of years, the city government offered some tax incentives while also encouraging local business groups to also practice public-private partnership (PPP) with other foreign investors.

The city government through its legislative body passed PPP Code, the only in the country today to encourage foreign and local investors for a joint investments in this fast-rising growing city in the south. The city legislative body also passed ordinance promoting organic farming.

It aimed to make the second largest cacao producer in the country today as it set to plant 500,000 cacao seedlings in the 1,000-hectares agricultural lands here.

Some foreign investors have already started coming in to look for initial sites for them to start in agricultural farming business.

“Big number of Butuanons, particularly farmers and even displaced wood workers by the all-out drive against illegal logging will be benefited when all these wide areas of agricultural lands being opened for co-management scheme will be utilized,” stressed City Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante Jr., in an exclusive interview.