The highest priority for a one-island economy is rice self-sufficiency. Rice is a staple of the Filipino diet, with Filipinos consuming an average of 120 kg per annum. Rice self-sufficiency for the Philippines, as well as Marinduque, is extremely critical in establishing overall food security.
"Self-Palayance is AGREA’s plan to partner with Marinduque communities to establish complete rice self-sufficiency for the island and as a model for the entire Philippines."
Components of Self-Palayance
The overall approach of the program is to integrate the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), Palayamanan, Micro-Irrigation, and Vermicomposting into the operation of each partner farm.
Each of these systems aims to increase the quality of production while reducing costs, increase the yield for each harvest, and enable the ability to increase the numbers of harvests per year.
