In his visit to a project site in Candelaria, Quezon, Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) director Dr. Vivencio R. Mamaril underscored the wider outscaling of farming system by encouraging farmer beneficiaries to continue the roll-over scheme even beyond the set protocol; hence, benefitting more farmers.
As part of the regular activities of the bureau to ensure that the set objectives of the projects are met, director Mamaril and technical staff Juan Nikolas Paller monitored the project titled, “Outscaling of Coconut-based Farming System (Coconut + Soybean + Vegetables + Native Chicken” on 19 July 2021.
The project implemented by DA-CALABARZON aimed to help coconut farmers of Barangays San Isidro, Kinatihan I, Pahinga Sur and Sta. Catalina Norte in Candelaria, Quezon to ensure sustainable production and availability of food commodities through utilization of mature and sustainable technologies for coconut-based and high value crops with integration of native chicken.
With 46 farmer-cooperators to date, each farmer-cooperator has at least 5,000 square meters coconut area as demo or experimental area wherein around 1,600 hot pepper seedlings and 1,700 okra plants were grown. Also, around 2,500 square meters were devoted to soybean production.
Each farmer-cooperator was given a module of native chicken consisting of 10 pullets and two roosters. From the produced, same number will be returned by the cooperator which will then be transferred to farmer adopters. The project is now in the process of transferring the native chicken modules to adopters.
Farmer cooperators of the said project as well as with the “Outscaling of Rice-based Farming System (Rice-watermelon-vegetables)” project in Sariaya, Quezon visited the Lowland Vegetables Technology demonstration area at the DA-Quezon Agricultural Research and Experiment Station (QARES).
Dubbed as “Lowland Vegetable Derby,” director Mamaril also had the chance to see the new and common varieties of pinakbet vegetables showcased by partner seed companies during the said event.
Director Mamaril also visited the DA-Quezon Agricultural Research and Experiment Station wherein various food and non-food products from cacao, coconut, coffee, sapinit, and other indigenous fruits are promoted in the Technology Commercialization Center. These are among the funded projects of the bureau through its National Technology Commercialization Program.
During the said visits and monitoring activities, director Mamaril emphasized farm-level application for the generated technologies and the need to ensure sustainability of the project.