Residents of the south can soon enjoy freshly picked lettuce and other produce after Muntinlupa’s local government launched a city demo farm in what they claim is “the first LGU-operated intensive hydroponics system in Metro Manila.”
Located at Muntinlupa Sports Complex in barangay Tunasan, the Muntinlupa City Demo Farm is a project between the city government and the Department of Agriculture – Extension Services Office (DA-ESO).
The farm is composed of an herb garden, a seedling nursery, a mushroom house, as well as an edible landscaping area with organic vegetables, fruits, herbs, and medicinal plants, built with the help of the UP Los Baños Edible Landscaping team.
Further, the farm also features SNAP Hydroponics, which smaller communities can replicate in their open spaces, and NFT Hydroponics, the latter which can produce 2,000 lettuce heads in every harvest.
According to the city’s official Facebook page, visitors may visit the agricultural systems on the demo farm, as well as conduct research for agricultural technologies and harvesting methods.
Mayor Jaime Fresnedi, along with other city officials, led the inauguration of the Muntinlupa City Demo Farm.
In a statement, the city government said that it aims to promote urban agriculture and urban farming to ensure food security amid the pandemic.
The city government said it regularly conducts urban farming site visits and online trainings, teaming up with with DOST and the University of the Philippines to train communities on hydroponics farming technology.
READ: Got urban farming dreams? Hydroponic hub at The Pop-Up Katipunan lets them come true
