Butuan city: The Department of Agriculture in Caraga Region (DA-13) has announced the launch of the ‘Grow Your Own Food Challenge,’ a vegetable gardening contest specifically for media members in Agusan del Norte and Butuan City. This initiative aims to engage media personnel in food production, encouraging them to grow their own produce as part of the nation’s ongoing efforts toward food sufficiency and security.
According to Philippines News Agency, the contest is being carried out through DA-13’s Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Section. The department acknowledged the crucial role that media play in spreading timely, accurate, and relevant agricultural information to the public. By involving media partners in this challenge, DA-13 hopes to leverage their influence in promoting agricultural initiatives and advocacies.
Contestants, whether groups or individuals, are required to establish and maintain a vegetable garden of at least 1,000 square meters within a 30-day period. A team from DA-13 will evaluate the gardens from November 24 to 28, selecting the top three winners based on criteria such as crop establishment and maintenance, cultural management, garden design, community involvement, and thorough documentation of gardening activities.
Prizes for the winning participants include PHP10,000 for first place, PHP8,000 for second, and PHP5,000 for third, while four additional participants will receive consolation prizes of PHP1,500 each. This initiative not only promotes media participation in agricultural programs but also demonstrates the feasibility of small-scale food production.
