29/6/06 (Sun Star)   - KORONADAL CITY -- The City Government here plans to develop new road networks leading to several upland villages to facilitate the ongoing expansion of oil palm plantations in the area.

Mario Seneca, oil palm coordinator of the city's agriculture office, said more local farmers have signified their intention to plant the highly productive crop but the lack of developed roads, especially going towards the city's upland areas, has been hampering the opening of new plantations.

He said these areas include the mountainous portions of barangays (community villages) Cacub and Esperanza, which had been identified as among the viable areas for the planting of oil palm.

Without accessible roads, he said it would be difficult to transport the oil palm seedlings and other inputs to the plantation sites.

Seneca said a good road network was earlier stressed by experts from the Department of Agriculture (DA) as a primary requirement for oil palm plantation development as oil palm fruits need to be delivered to processing plants within 24 hours after harvest.

As such, farmers and officials of Barangay Esperanza submitted a resolution to the office of City Mayor Fernando Miguel, requesting the City Government to open up new roads leading to the proposed plantation sites.

"The city mayor is now studying these proposals and he initially saw the need to immediately development new access roads leading to these areas," he said.

Two years ago, the DA and the Department of Trade and Industry identified the city as a potential expansion area for oil palm, an export crop currently centered in Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato and Agusan del Sur.

Mayor Fernando Miguel issued in late 2004 Executive Order (EO) 07 establishing the oil palm industry in the city.

EO 07 tapped the Philippine Coconut Authority as partner for the project as mandated by Presidential Decree 232, which authorized the agency to "help farmers as direct participants and beneficiaries in all the aspects of the development and growth of the coconut and oil palm industry."

The city agriculture office initially identified at least 300 hectares of potentially viable plantation sites located in 20 of the city's 27 barangays.

The City Government facilitated the opening of oil palm plantations in the area through an assistance agreement with Agusan Mill Phils Inc. (Agumill), which had also pushed for the expansion of oil palm plantations in the area.

Agumill, which maintains oil palm plantations in various parts of Mindanao, is one of only three existing palm oil processors in the country.

The company has an ongoing outgrowership program for farmers, including provision of quality seedlings, technical support, hauling and purchase of palm fruits.

Agumill's outgrowership program in Sultan Kudarat province includes the establishment of a nursery capable of developing some 500 hectares of oil palm plantation in the province and the neighboring areas.