KALIBO, Aklan (PNA) — Aklan Governor Carlito Marquez has disclosed his plan to pursue programs that will modernize the agriculture industry and help local farmers here even while taking advantage of the continuing demand for produce by resort establishments in Boracay Island.

In his recent State of the Province Address (SOPA), Marquez reported that the agriculture industry in the province could be modernized with 54 percent of its 181,816 hectares or 97,563 hectares devoted to modernized agricultural development.

"Our continued implementation of our programs for agriculture such as hybrid, inbred, and commercial rice, high-valued commercial crops such as mango, corn and other fruits and vegetables, integrated pest management, abaca production, rapid composting and fisheries will continue," he said.

In 2009, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has provided Aklan province with farm inputs and equipment worth P29.7 million and another R10-million in grants for farm-to-market road that was used for concreting instead of just gravelling roads for stability.

As a result, rice production in the province increased by 14.62 percent or from 129,319 metric tons of rice in 2008 to 148,222 metric tons last year.

The National Agriculture and Fisheries Council also extended R503, 000 in financial assistance to local farmers for their livelihood programs.

Currently, Aklan stands at 117.8 percent sufficiency level and while residents only consume 63,313.61 metric tons of rice of a total production of 95,841.08 metric tons in 2009, the province is still considered as a rice-exporting province.