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NEWS & EVENTS

May 29, 2023

Vegetable farming kept Batanes farmers afloat during the pandemic

Batanes, an island group located approximately 162 kilometers north of the Luzon mainland, was the last province to fall to COVID-19 nearly eight months after the first recorded case in the country. Its people, the Ivatans, have long learned to live in consonance with typhoons. Their deeply rooted culture of resilience and resourcefulness have allowed them to thrive for years, and has greatly helped them amid the pandemic that pushed the reset button for everyone else.When the tourism industry started to wane due to the extended series of lockdowns, the people of Batanes did not wait for help to put themselves back up. They turned to other income-generating activities to keep their families afloat.During that time, DA intensified the efforts to ensure the food supply across the country. One of the strategies implemented is to increase the national agriculture and fisheries output through intensified use of quality seeds and appropriate inputs. This led to an unusual increase in the demand for quality planting materials as people were also encouraged to plant their own food in their backyards.In line with this, DA-BAR funded 26 projects across the country to support the mass production of quality planting materials of selected high value crops. One of these projects was implemented by DA-Cagayan Valley-Research Division in collaboration with DA-Batanes Experiment Station from July 2020 to June 2021. The said project was conducted in six municipalities of Batanes, namely Basco, Itbayat, Ivana, Mahatao, Sabtang, and Uyugan. Ten farmer-partners from each municipality were given a total of 11kg of assorted upland vegetables (cabbage, lettuce, bell pepper, sweet pepper, squash, and tomato), 557.5kg of assorted legumes (string beans, snap beans, peanut, and mungbean), and 300 bags of organic fertilizers. Two technology demonstration sites in each municipality, that is one per barangay involved, were also established.Most of the farmer-partners are planting vegetables for self-sustenance. They were trained on organic vegetable production, seedling production, and use of organic pesticide and fertilizer. “Marami kaming natutunan na technique, paano ‘yong dapat gawin, anong fertilizer ang ina-apply. Hindi gaya noon na basta magtanim ka lang,” shared farmer-partner Catalina F. Laurel of Mahatao, Batanes.Through the project, she learned the proper cultural and pest management of various vegetables, as well as making organic concoctions and identifying the right parts of the plant that can be used as a planting material for the next cropping. As of writing, Laurel is selling the good quality vegetables through an online messaging application, and others are consumed in their household. Meanwhile, farmer-partner Sabina F. Alcon of Mahatao shared when asked how the project helped her during the height of the pandemic, “Malaking tulong kasi dito lang kami sa bukid. Hindi kami pinapapunta sa bayan, tutok lang kami sa bukid. Hindi masyadong mabili ‘yong gulay namin no’ng pandemic pero hindi [na] kami bumibili [ng pagkain noon]. ‘Yan ang maganda sa amin, ang binibili lang namin dito ay bigas.” Alcon shared that the vegetables she plants are mostly consumed in their household. Any excess is sold at their store. But if left unsold, she distributes it for free to those who are interested.Among the 60 farmer-partners of the project was Jose J. Javier Jr. of Ivana, one of the long-standing farmer-partners of DA-Cagayan for the past 15 years. Aside from sharing what he has learned through the project, he also expressed his gratitude toward the said project, and the previous DA projects that helped uplift his farm productivity.“Maraming salamat sa DA [para sa] pagbibigay ng seeds, [seedling] trays [at iba pang inputs at kaalaman]. Kung hindi siguro dahil sa DA, hind ko mapagtatapos ng pag-aaral ang apat kong anak,” he mused as he ended his story.Farmer-partners are expected to continuously produce quality seeds and seedlings to be distributed to other farmers. DA-BES and the local government units (LGUs) are likewise expected to sustain the nursery production of these vegetable seedlings.“Ang DA-BES at LGUs ay continuous na nagpo-produce ng mga assorted na open pollinated varieties tulad [ng naging strategy natin sa proyekto]. Nagkaroon ng agreement with the provincial LGU then down to the municipal LGU to produce open pollinated varieties, hindi ‘yong hybrid,” said DA-BES chief Dr. Richard Q. Paddayuman. For more information:Chonalyn A. PascuaDA-Cagayan Valleyresearch.rfo2@da.gov.ph(078) 304-0479/304-0205 Dr. Richard Q. PaddayumanDA-BESbes.rfo2@da.gov.ph

newsevent

Nov 30, -0001

The DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) has long recognized the need to address gender roles and biases to eradicate inequality and achieve an inclusive agriculture and fisheries community. It is vital that we recognize that women play important roles as producers, suppliers, providers of complementary services, distributors, and consumers according to the Asian Development Bank. In the past decade, efforts were made to educate and capacitate the bureau’s staff on appropriate gender mainstreaming practices in agriculture and fisheries research for development (R4D). Likewise, numerous women-led programs, projects, and activities (PPAs) were supported by the bureau and implemented by partner R4D agencies, which have been attributed to the empowerment of women in the sector. In the project development cycle (from proposal packaging and review to monitoring and evaluation), it is important to take into account the nature and extent of the involvement of women — their contributions, access to physical and financial resources, technical assistance received, involvement in decision-making processes, and management of production activities. Development of entrepreneurship and self-employment in agriculture and rural areas are also crucial for the improvement of the employment situation of women. Several DA-BAR supported projects revealed what women partners gained from their participation in the implementation of these PPAs. These include the increased access to technical assistance; skill-building efforts related to product development; access and control over processing equipment and laboratory facilities, as well as farm tools (production) provided through the project; and management skills such as bookkeeping and preparation of financial statements. Women partners shared their thoughts on the implementation strategies which they think will benefit them more as well as the project. Among the strategies that can be considered in program or project planning are incorporation of a marketing plan to include market testing to assess consumer acceptability, appropriate packaging and labeling, product pricing and market promotion as these can be done by women in cooperatives or associations; provision of hands-on training and continuous technical advice and guidance in production and processing; provision of assistance for newly formed associations to have legal identity to run an enterprise; and access to financing, eg. some women especially those engaged in fisheries funded project encountered difficulty in accessing start-up capital which was identified as a constraint to the establishment of fish processing business enterprises. Women’s access to project resources and services improved economic status which then brought about empowerment. Some success factors observed during project implementation are good leadership and dedication of the association leaders involved in the projects; active participation of women members in project activities. Women who were indirect beneficiaries acquired knowledge and skills on improved practices through sharing of information from their husbands. These activities were made possible through the provided technical expertise of the project leader to the women farmer-partners and research team who regularly monitor the project and close collaboration between the project team and other partners in the conduct of training. Gender and development initiatives in project implementation will not be sustainable if not strongly supported by the local government. The municipal agriculturist and agricultural technicians who assisted on monitoring the project and continuously provided technical support to women farmer-partners even after the project implementation is vital. As for the impact of the project on the social empowerment of women, the study found that the self-esteem, self-confidence and personal growth of the majority of the women partners improved; additional technical knowledge that they learned from the trainings enabled them to confidently share or impart their knowledge to other people in their community or to other members of the association. There were, likewise, lessons learned and drawn from the implementation of these projects which will be useful in crafting a research framework for integrating GAD in future agriculture and fisheries research proposals.

The DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) has long recognized the need to address gender roles and biases to eradicate inequality and achieve an inclusive agriculture and fisheries community. It is vital that we recognize that women play important roles as producers, suppliers, providers of complementary services, distributors, and consumers according to the Asian Development Bank.In the past decade, efforts were made to educate and capacitate the bureau’s staff on appropriate gender mainstreaming practices in agriculture and fisheries research for development (R4D). Likewise, numerous women-led programs, projects, and activities (PPAs) were supported by the bureau and implemented by partner R4D agencies, which have been attributed to the empowerment of women in the sector.In the project development cycle (from proposal packaging and review to monitoring and evaluation), it is important to take into account the nature and extent of the involvement of women — their contributions, access to physical and financial resources, technical assistance received, involvement in decision-making processes, and management of production activities. Development of entrepreneurship and self-employment in agriculture and rural areas are also crucial for the improvement of the employment situation of women.Several DA-BAR supported projects revealed what women partners gained from their participation in the implementation of these PPAs. These include the increased access to technical assistance; skill-building efforts related to product development; access and control over processing equipment and laboratory facilities, as well as farm tools (production) provided through the project; and management skills such as bookkeeping and preparation of financial statements.Women partners shared their thoughts on the implementation strategies which they think will benefit them more as well as the project. Among the strategies that can be considered in program or project planning are incorporation of a marketing plan to include market testing to assess consumer acceptability, appropriate packaging and labeling, product pricing and market promotion as these can be done by women in cooperatives or associations; provision of hands-on training and continuous technical advice and guidance in production and processing; provision of assistance for newly formed associations to have legal identity to run an enterprise; and access to financing, eg. some women especially those engaged in fisheries funded project encountered difficulty in accessing start-up capital which was identified as a constraint to the establishment of fish processing business enterprises.Women’s access to project resources and services improved economic status which then brought about empowerment. Some success factors observed during project implementation are good leadership and dedication of the association leaders involved in the projects; active participation of women members in project activities. Women who were indirect beneficiaries acquired knowledge and skills on improved practices through sharing of information from their husbands.These activities were made possible through the provided technical expertise of the project leader to the women farmer-partners and research team who regularly monitor the project and close collaboration between the project team and other partners in the conduct of training. Gender and development initiatives in project implementation will not be sustainable if not strongly supported by the local government. The municipal agriculturist and agricultural technicians who assisted on monitoring the project and continuously provided technical support to women farmer-partners even after the project implementation is vital.As for the impact of the project on the social empowerment of women, the study found that the self-esteem, self-confidence and personal growth of the majority of the women partners improved; additional technical knowledge that they learned from the trainings enabled them to confidently share or impart their knowledge to other people in their community or to other members of the association. There were, likewise, lessons learned and drawn from the implementation of these projects which will be useful in crafting a research framework for integrating GAD in future agriculture and fisheries research proposals.

newsevent

May 31, 2023

Preserving the traditional wakay of Batanes

To boost the limited supply of the different cultivars of traditional sweetpotato (or locally known as wakay) quality planting materials, macropropagation techniques from vine cuttings coupled with recommended cultural management and practices were introduced in different sweetpotato farms in Batanes.With only 11 out of the 16 traditional wakay varieties present in Batanes, preserving the germplasm collection of these varieties is necessary. Increasing the production of traditional sweetpotato quality planting materials that is clean and free from any observable disease is made possible through macropropagation technique.The 11 varieties, namely Bayat-uyugan, Dabuhbuhan, Kabuko, Mariñas, Merlin, Naygustin, Naypitang, Nila, Rosemarie,  Samorangan or Yayung, and Villuga, were propagated in each on-station and technology demonstration farms to secure collection and availability of all germplasm, with at least two varieties of farmers’ choice.The DA-Batanes Experiment Station (BES) has cultivated the remaining available traditional varieties that are preferred by the locals, for mass production. A total of 316,883 pieces of wakay planting materials were planted on-station and on the six technology demonstration farms totaling 1.2ha production areas in Batanes, which were the source of planting materials distributed to farmer partners.Sweetpotato farmers, and staff from PLGUs and MLGUs participated in various capacity building activities on production technology using the POT on sweetpotato and in maintaining quality vine cuttings during the hauling of planting materials, and recordkeeping. The 153 farmers with an average area of 200-800sqm wakay farm from the six municipalities, namely, Basco, Mahatao, Ivana, Uyugan, Sabtang, and Itbayat, received quality planting materials and established their sweetpotato production areas. They received a total of 619,429 pieces of quality vine cuttings, which is 24% more than the targeted vine cuttings. It was observed that farmer partners prefer the Naypitang and Dabuhbuhan varieties, which, based on their experience, yield more tubers and taste better.Three mini field days were also conducted and participated by 165 farmers and staff of PLGUs and MLGUs in the municipalities of Ivana, Sabtang, and Itbayat. Information materials were distributed to wakay farmers and other interested individuals.Continuous production of sweetpotato quality planting materials on-station and in different municipal demonstration farms should be maintained to supply the planting materials needed by the wakay farmers.Using the POT for sweetpotato production, farmlands became more productive and farmer partners were equipped with improved practices. Diligence paid off One successful wakay farmer is 52-year-old Gregorio Ydel. He returned to Batanes in 1995 and started working as a job order on various projects, but his income was not enough to support his family of five. He then started planting vegetables in his small farm which augmented his income. In 2020, Ydel joined the project of DA-Cagayan Valley on the conservation, production, and utilization of Batanes sweet potato traditional varieties in collaboration with DA-Batanes Experiment Station (BES).Ydel actively participated in all the training conducted on the recommended cultural management for traditional sweet potato varieties. He learned what months to plant wakay, how to produce bigger tubers, and how to market his produce. “I always plant wakay two or three months ahead (in May, June, or July) than the traditional practice during the months of August or September. As the only producer of wakay during the lean months and with high demand for the commodity, I earn more. But I also supply quality planting materials to farmers needing them,” he shared.“I earn more with planting wakay than with vegetables only. With the income I get from wakay, I was able to send all my children to school, construct a bigger house, acquire six cows, three carabaos, and now start a piggery. Maybe I can say that I am better off now but I will still continue being a farmer in my 6ha farm, for as long as I am still able to, with God’s guidance,” Ydel ended with a bright smile.__________________For more information:Chonalyn A. Pascua DA-Cagayan Valley Research Centercalseco81@gmail.com

newsevent

May 23, 2023

Garlic farming flourishes in Batanes

For garlic farmer Marilou A. Alina, there was never a shortage of garlic in Batanes.Ever since the pandemic hit the country hard in 2020, the 58-year-old farmer has been receiving a steady supply of planting materials from DA as part of the nationwide Plant, Plant, Plant program. This support serves as a crucial measure to alleviate the pandemic’s effects on local food supply and livelihood of farmers.As a farmer beneficiary of the DA-BAR funded project titled Support to Mass Production of Batanes Red and Itbayat White Garlic Quality Planting Material through Seed Production Technique in Batanes, Alina has not only received garlic planting materials but also assorted vegetables such as squash, cabbage, bitter gourd, carrots, and cauliflower, all of which she cultivates for personal consumption and selling.“They always give us planting materials for free,” she said.According to Alina, she and her fellow farmers return the planting materials they received from DA after each harvest. Recently, Alina was granted 20 kilograms of garlic planting materials from DA, which she duly paid for following a fruitful harvest for expansion of garlic production. The two varietiesAmong the two garlic varieties introduced in the project, Alina and the other farmers on Batan island exhibit a preference for Batanes Red. Nonetheless, both varieties demonstrate efficient agronomic characteristics.In addition to exhibiting favorable agronomic characteristics, the selection of these two varieties was based on their ability to produce well-formed medium to large cloves, resistance to pests and diseases, and their recommended seeding rate of 400-700kg of seeds per hectare, taking into account bulb size and planting distance. Training and farming activitiesPrior to planting the Batanes Red variety, Alina participated in various capacity buildings sponsored by DA. These training sessions covered topics such as fertilizer application, seed production, postharvest handling, marketing strategies, and techniques for cultivating garlic. Equipped with the appropriate knowledge and techniques, she recently achieved a garlic harvest of 83kg from the 20kg of planting materials given to her.“The 20kg goes to the landowner, 20kg to DA, then we sell the remaining,” said Alina.Following the harvest, Alina, like other garlic farmers in Batanes, adheres to the traditional method of storing garlic bundles in well-ventilated spaces, arranged in rows with the support of bamboo sticks or lumber. She also periodically smokes them to drive away insects that may cause damage to the bulbs. However, her garlic cultivation is not all sunshine and harvest."If I don't use smoke as a preventive measure, thrips could infest my garlic," Alina said when asked about pest management.Garlic thrips are small insects that feed on garlic and other Allium crops. They cause damage by sucking plant fluids, resulting in silver or whitish streaks on the leaves. Severe infestations of thrips can lead to stunted growth and reduced bulb size.She explains that thrips are the ones responsible for starting infestations on her garlic plants in the fields, leading to their presence when the garlic is moved to storage. At present, she chooses not to use any organic pesticides or sprays on her garlic crops to tackle the thrips problem. Fruits of their laborAlina shared that she and her husband personally plant the garlic, with her husband doing the plowing while she cleans and sells them, bringing them to the collection point of the local market. Currently, they sell their garlic at the local market for PhP 200 per kilo."We do everything ourselves," Alina said.She admitted that she prices them higher compared to other farmers as she desires fair compensation for the labor, she and her husband put in to grow the garlic.With the project’s completion on 31 December 2022, the project has brought immense support and valuable capacity-building opportunities to garlic farmers in Batanes. As a result, they can now look forward to reaping greater yields and higher profits from their garlic crops.

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Mar 07, 2024

Fertilization technology: USM shares preliminary study results in Robusta coffee

Attended by 65 farmers and guests, University of Southern Mindanao (USM), in collaboration with Nestle Philippines, conducted a Coffee Harvest Festival highlighting fertilizer treatment options to boost the productivity of Robusta coffee on 1 March 2024 at Brgy. Kulaman, Senator Ninoy Aquino, Sultan Kudarat.The abovementioned information  is part of the preliminary results of the project titled, Productivity Assessment of Robusta Coffee Applied with Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers in Mindanao funded by the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research under the DA-High Value Crops Development Program.Leandreux Ocasion, project leader, shared the various activities conducted. These include field establishment of fertilizer trials, soil and leaf sampling, fertilizer application, agronomic data analysis, and data collection on yield. Farmers' adoption of appropriate cultural management practices, recommended time and amount of fertilizer application, and proper harvesting can lead to an increase in the production yield of coffee.“Para makatulong sa community at magkakapeng Pilipino ang proyekto po ay nagnanais maibahagi ang mga cultural practices at kasama na ang pagbibigay ng IEC materials sa ating mga magkakape. Isang observation after the fertilizer treatments of the farmers, ang daming bulaklak ng kape-isang indikasyon na maganda at kalidad ang magiging harvest ng green coffee beans or GCB,” Ocasion said. The notable results of the project study will help update the Philippine National Standard for Good Agricultural Practice for coffee and help the government in crafting policies and programs for farmers and the coffee industry, he added. To ensure sustainability, USM, Nestle Philippines, Inc. DA-HVCDP, and Local Government Units will be facilitating technology transfer activities on the developed POTs to the coffee farmer cooperators and stakeholders. “Marami akong natutunang teknolohiya mula sa project tulad ng tamang sukat ng pag-apply ng fertilizer at pag-alam ng iba’t-ibang pests and diseases ng kape. Lalo na pwede pala isama ang organic at inorganic fertilizer. Marami pang naitulong tulad ng pruning, cutting at grafting at de-pulping. Pati po pag-apply ng iba’t ibang klase ng abono”. Thus said Edwin Batilo, president of Tinalon Farmers Association and Nestle Coffee ambassador, during the festival.

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Mar 14, 2024

DA-BAR kicks off 2024 Women’s Month celebration

Opening its celebration of Women's Month, the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) conducted a Gender-fair Communication Orientation with Atty. Judie Rose Tugado Dimayuga, member of the Philippine Commission on Women’s (PCW) National Gender and Development Resource Pool, on 8 March 2024.Atty. Dimayuga discussed and reviewed the basic gender and development concepts as it relates to gender issues in media and communication. “Gender-fair refers to the methods, policies, or practices utilized to attain equality and equity in our society, eliminating discrimination, one of the prevalent manifestations of which is stereotyping,” she explained.Thus, “Gender-fair communication is an inclusive and strategic tool for gender mainstreaming and a must-have skill for development practitioners. It uses communication as a tool to challenge stereotypes and helps promote gender equality,” Atty. Dimayuga added.“Paano natin mapapasimple ‘yong ating research para ma-i-convey natin sa ating mga kababayan lalo na when it comes to reaching equality,” she said as she put things into the context of communication.She also gave a brief overview of the laws, policies, and tools for the promotion and use of gender-fair communication, as well as talked about the standards of gender-fair communication and how this can be integrated into producing gender-sensitive content for the audiences. The salient features of the Gender-Fair Media Guidebook were also briefly introduced and discussed.Following this activity was the launching of the Women’s Month Photo Exhibit on 11 March at the JR Escaño Hall. Featured in the exhibit are 14 photos interpreting the PCW-set sub-theme of the 2024 National Women’s Month Celebration — Lipunang Patas sa Bagong Pilipinas: Kakayahan ng Kababaihan, Patutunayan! — submitted by the bureau’s staff for its Women’s Month Photo Contest. The exhibit will run from 11-27 March, while winners will be announced on 1 April 2024.In his message during the launching, DA-BAR director Junel B. Soriano reminded everyone that “the celebration of Women’s Month is not just about the achievements and contributions of women in the society but also about the fight for equal rights and opportunities for every person regardless of their Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression. Because this movement believes that every person, however you identify yourself in the gender spectrum, is a valuable asset of this society.”Meanwhile, Zig Dulay’s critically acclaimed independent film Paglipay released in 2016 was screened on 15 March. The story follows Atan, a teenage Ayta who saves up to marry his childhood friend Ani, and in the course of it befriends Rain, a college student doing her thesis on pilaok (intermarriage among Aytas and lowlanders). The movie also depicts the traditional farming practices of Aytas and the threat to their livelihood. It also  touches upon issues of gender biases in the community.