Anchored on the bureau’s formulated strategies and programs, the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), together with partner research for development (R4D) institutions, launched R4D projects and sealed partnership agreements in February 2022 in Zamboanga del Sur and Cagayan Valley.
DA-BAR continues to collaborate with partner institutions, state universities and colleges, and organizations to initiate R4D projects and activities that will help farmers and fisherfolk in adapting to generated technologies and integrating community livelihood.
“We are here to continuously provide support, technical assistance vis-à-vis guidance on how we can improve R&D in general and for us to develop more technologies for our farmers and fisher, not just to develop but hoping that they are using these available technologies,” said DA-BAR director Junel B. Soriano during the MOA signing at Cagayan State University (CSU).
The bureau also signed a memorandum of agreement with selected key officials of DA-Zamboanga Peninsula to officially start the Yamang Lupa: Sustainable Community-Based Research for Development and Extension Livelihood Enhancement, Upliftment, and Prosperity (YL: SCALE UP) Program in Zamboanga del Sur. The event took place on 2 February 2022 at Guillermo Hotel, Pagadian City.
The YL: SCALE UP Program is expected to cover a million hectares of rainfed areas in the country. Its goal is to establish innovative and sustainable agriculture through enhanced YL Program approaches and strategies resulting in an increase in yield and income of farmers by at least 15 percent by 2025.
Furthermore, DA-BAR team launched an R4D project that will develop web-based applications to modernize crop production practices for SMART crop production and marketing in Zamboanga del Sur that will improve the quality of life of those in the agricultural sector on 3 February 2022 at the ACC Convention Hall in Pagadian City.
DA-BAR team and DA-Cagayan Valley select key officials also attended the launching of the DA-High Value Crops Development Program funded project aimed to develop a Zero Energy Cooling Chamber (ZECC). The technology will help farmers reduce the ambient temperature and maintain high relative humidity appropriate for on-farm storage of fruits and vegetables with zero electrical energy cost. The event was held on 22 February 2022 at Cagayan Valley Research Center (CVRC), Ilagan, Isabela.
Aimed to develop improved varieties of traditional white corn, and to determine the effectiveness of alternative plant protein source for feed formulation in swine and chicken, the bureau and DA-CVRC’s partnership in two R4D projects was sealed through a MOA signing on 22 February 2022. Further, the bureau inked an agreement with the CSU for their project, that aims to assess the target market and preferred blend of Caoffee (cacao and coffee) product, on 23 February 2022.