To intensify the city’s food security program, the local government here has institutionalized the People’s Farm Task Force showcasing an unused lot at the South Road Properties (SRP) as a demonstration area for city employees and residents who want to go into farming.

Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr., Cebu City Council committee on agriculture chair, said the people’s farm would ensure food sufficiency, especially for the poor communities here, by producing vegetables and fruits planted in the backyard.

The demo farm inside SRP allocates 120 to 200 square-meter wide lots to each of the 70 departments of the Cebu City Hall participating in the task force.

He said employees from the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office, City Agriculture Department, Department for the Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries, Cebu Resources Management and Development, Parks and Playground Commission, Department of Engineering and Public Works, and the SRP Management Office have adopted a piece of the people’s farm to plant varieties of food-producing plants.

Alcover invited residents and members of organizations based in the city to become “weekend farmers” by cultivating a portion of the SRP lot during their free time on weekends.

“Those who want to join will be screened. The advantage of this project is that even if you do not know about agricultural farming, we have people who can assist you,” Alcover told the Philippine News Agency.

He said a food summit will be held to adjudge the well-developed farm lots at the SRP. (PNA)