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Agriculture
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Crop Production
Agriculture is the largest component among the sectors.
It encompasses the natural endowments and virtually all
the physical landscape that make up Cotabato City. This
sector provides the supply of raw materials that satisfy
the most basic needs of its people. Although agriculture
is the predominant sector of the city’s economy,
agriculture employs roughly 4 % of the city’s total
labor force.
Cotabato City has a total of 10,788.0244 hectares of
agricultural land, however only 35.65% of which is
suited for agricultural production, while the 41.84% or
4,514.0744 hectares are considered potential
agricultural areas of limited arability and have low
density for urban development. A total of 1,678.0511
hectares are considered built-up areas, while 43
hectares are protected areas.
Of the city’s total land area, 454.8470 hectares or
2.58% are planted to permanent crops such as coconut,
while 2,029.0657 hectares or 11.54% are planted to
temporary crops. Significantly, portions of land planted
to permanent crops are also devoted to temporary crops
owing to multi-cropping practices. The total area for
crop production is 2,483.9127 hectares or 14.12% of the
area of the entire city.
Area planted to rice is basically divided into two (2)
categories, namely, irrigated, with a total of 49
hectares or .28% and the non-irrigated land with
1,623.9628 hectares or 9.23% of the city’s entire land
area. Corn, meanwhile, is grown in 245.9029 hectares or
12.12% of the temporary cropland. So far, rice has the
largest area devoted to a single temporary crop.
Vegetable and banana, which also are temporary crops,
has a total area of 110.20 hectares with an area
equivalent to .63% of the total cropland for each crop
type.
In spite of the considerable area planted to major food
crops, supply of these cannot meet the consumption
requirements of the city’s population. Even with a
projected production increase of 2% per annum, the city’s
agricultural land are slowly converted into residential
and commercial areas brought about by the trend of
development taking place in the city.
In view of the relatively large role that the agricultural
sectors play in the economy, a more rapid economic growth
could not be sustained in the long term without
substantial increases in agricultural productivity and the
accompanying rise in farm income.
The
above table is a representation of the projected demand
for food vis-a-vis the population of Cotabato City from
1999 – 2003 up to the year 2008. By the year 2003, the
population of the city would have increased by 12.2% with
a numerical equivalent of 29,147 persons from the base
year. At the end of the planning period (2008), the city’s
population would have reached 213,561 or an increase of
28,683 persons from the year 2003. The projected increase
has a percentile equivalent of 15.%. The total increase
for the whole 10-year period is 48,830 a good 30% from the
1999 level.
Based on the per capita demand for food, cereals,
vegetables and other related commodities, the city has to
allocate approximately 4,365 hectares to be devoted solely
for agri-based food production. On the same note, if we
are going to satisfy the demand for fish, meat and poultry
products, we need to allocate approximately 1,373.11
hectares. Looking at the land capability and suitablity of
the city’s agricultural land resources, the area
requirements for the entire projected food demand of
city’s residents can not be met just by mere looking at
the configuration of the Strategic Agricultural and
Fishery Development Zone (SAFDZ). Logic would dictate that
the allocation of land resources will also be dependent on
the capability of concerned stakeholders to cultivate the
land on a given time frame and given production inputs and
support facilities.
It should be noted that the rate of production from the
two sub-sectors can only satisfy about 53% of food
requirements while the rest are imported from other
food-producing areas notably Cotabato Province, Sultan
Kudarat Province and the Zamboanga Peninsula. Processed
foods are mostly coming from Metro Cebu and Metro Manila.
What could be done here is to optimize the use of
allowable land resources to maximize productivity and get
better yield on a per hectare/cropping season basis to
lessen production gap between locally produced commodities
vis-a-vis the imported products. As this is one of our
handicaps, we have to strengthen this particular
sub-sector through the introduction of a more scientific
approach to production with sufficient complementary
support in terms of extension services, provision of the
right mix of production inputs with IEC back-up and
adequate post harvest facilities. Ultimately, the
bottomline here is the reduction of our dependence on food
from other producing areas.
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Livestock and Poultry
On livestock, the city’s 127.1080 hectares of pasture
land or 0.72% of the total agricultural land is ideal
for livestock and poultry production. Despite the
operation of the city’s Class A Slaughterhouse, pork,
beef and carabeef seemed to be scarce in terms of
supply, pushing market vendors to source meat from
outside the city, particularly from Midsayap and other
nearby towns.
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Fishery
With regards to fishing activities, the Illana Bay is
considered as one of the richest fishing grounds in the
city as well as in Region XII, Its presence has
gainfully provided opportunities to the city fishermen.
On the areas of Kalanganan, there are also existing
fishponds that sufficiently produce aquatic products
such as bangus, prawns, shell and seaweed as part of the
agricultural area of the city approximately 2,798.7293
hectares are devoted to brackish water, while 821.20
hectares are for inland fisheries.
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Forestry
Forest cover consist of few patches of trees in Barangay
Tamontaka 1, Rosary Heights 5, and Poblacion 1. Mangrove
forests are visible along the coastal areas of Brgy.
Kalanganan Mother, Kalanganan 1 and 2. These forests are
sources of round wood, fire wood, charcoal and raw
materials for construction, furniture, handicrafts,
poles and household goods. In the land use mapping and
site analysis of 1995, these forested areas have an
over-all total of 261 hectares with a percentage
distribution of 1.48%.
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SAFDZ
The Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of the
present administration mandates the establishment of
Strategic Agricultural and Fisheries Development Zones
in the municipalities and cities. For the City of
Cotabato a total of 10,788.0244 hectares of agricultural
land was proposed as SAFDZ area. These areas are devoted
to crop production and aquamarine production. At
present, the total effective agricultural area is
6,230.95, comprising crop and fishery production areas.
In as much as a considerable part of the city have open
and vacant spaces, about 44 hectares from said spaces
were considered as potential agricultural areas within
the city; specifically, at Barangay Bagua 2 & 3.
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