DA eyes abaca project in Visayas

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is hoping to replicate an abaca integration project in typhoon-stricken areas in the Central Philippines to provide alternative livelihood to families and enhance the industry’s competitiveness globally.

Under the “Abakayamanan” program, the Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) and the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) aim to help farmers in typhoon-affected provinces to bounce back through the use of technology, which combines farming of abaca with other crops like coconut.