The Department of Agriculture recently inked a partnership with the local government unit of Limay, the Bataan Peninsula State University, and Limay Polytechnic College to extend its implementation of the zero-kilometer food project.

According to the DA, the ‘0KM’ project is focused on pushing for healthy eating while at the same time aiming for products with reduced cost and environmental impact. “It supports the use and consumption of locally grown fruits, vegetables, and other non-industrially produced food products that have not traveled far, or more literally, that the food has traveled “zero kilometers” before being eaten."

Agriculture Secretary Fransico Tiu Laurel Jr. said that through agricultural promotion at the barangay level, efficient systems are produced “that ensure food reaches consumers without delay, nutrient loss, cost overruns, price manipulation, or unnecessary intermediaries.”

“This, in turn, lays the groundwork for data-driven interventions aimed at meeting local needs and exploring export opportunities,” he added.

“This 0KM concept underscores the principle that food should ideally traverse zero kilometers from its origin to consumption. Simply put, 0KM will evaluate the supply and demand dynamics of essential high-value crops in Limay and ensure local production meets local consumption,” said Dr. Gerald Glenn Panganiban, director of the DA high-value crops development program (HVCDP).

Moreover, the president of Limay Polytechnic College, Dr. Elmer De Leon, and the president of Bataan Peninsula State University, Dr. Ruby Matibag, expressed support for the food sustainability project as it will assist the agricultural agency and Limay LGU in verifying, processing, and securing relevant data, including agricultural production, food consumption, and Community-Based Monitoring System entries from the town.

The 0KM project was piloted in the municipalities of Dinalupihan and Hermosa in Bataan in June 2023.

Meanwhile, the DA turned over on Thursday P5 million under the Enhanced Kadiwa Fund for the establishment of a permanent Kadiwa site also in Limay. The project, which includes a cost of P1 million in trading capital, will benefit 28 farmers' cooperatives and associations with a total of 3,826 members.

The agriculture chief also helped launch Limay Invests for Farmers’ Triumph (LIFT), a collaboration between the Limay LGU and private sector partners like MENSCH Fil-Am Corp. and the HVCDP to aid farmers by providing them with interest-free loans, and a drip-fertigation system at Anthony Villanueva Farm that uses water enriched with soluble fertilizers and micronutrients and is delivered to crops using drip irrigation to enhance their quality and yield.