The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg) is pushing for agriculture tourism or “agri-tourism” in South Cotabato as more and more farms is sprouting in the past few years in the province.
OPAg chief Dr. Raul Teves, DVM disclosed during the recent weekly Kapihan sa Kapitolyo media forum that they encouraged farmers to open farms to the public that are ready for agri-tourism as an additional income to their farming business.
“Traditional farming can generate revenue but opening farms to the public will make their farming as a value-added enterprise,” Dr Teves said,”especially for the entranve fees it generates.”
Aside from value-added revenue, such farms according to Teves will become learning sites particularly for agriculture students within the region.
Aside from palay and acorn, specialized farms such as strawberry and guyabano, coffee, cacao, a, rubber, and other high-value crops plantations, and variety of flowers and ornamental plants plantations were established for the past years which were frequently visited by local and foreign tourists.
Aside from plant farming, some farmers are also planning to establish rabbit farming and free range chicken farms and also expanding to organic farming of the crops they are producing.
