Amid the threat of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Department of Agriculture (DA) intensified the promotion of urban agriculture by distributing vegetable seeds and planting materials nationwide.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar said this will ensure food availability and sustain production, especially during the enhanced community quarantine, now on its third week.

“We need to explore all strategies to ensure that food productivity, availability and sufficiency are attained, particularly in this challenging time,” Dar said.

"With the program, we hope to provide households, especially in metropolitan areas, the opportunity to produce fresh and healthy food from their backyard for their tables. This way, we can help them attain food security even beyond the enhanced community quarantine period in Luzon," he said.

Dar said the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) has been distributing assorted vegetable seeds and planting materials to interested households in Metro Manila and other urban areas in the country.

"To sustain the initiative beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, we are establishing community gardens in barangays with vacant areas so they can plant, propagate, and produce their vegetable requirements," BPI assistant director Glenn Panganiban said.

Dar said vegatable seeds being distributed by the BPI includes eggplant, tomato, upo, sitao, okra, upland kangkong, mustard, pechay, alugbati, saluyot, and onions

“We urge the public to join us in promoting this urban agriculture program to ensure continuous supply of home-grown nutritious vegetables on the tables of every Filipino household,” he said.

"Home gardening is a productive family activity during this quarantine period,” Dar added. Robina Asido/DMS