As state universities and international agencies converge to continually strive to better serve the country’s agriculture sector, various programs and initiatives have been launched at the local level to serve such a purpose.
Also working toward this goal, the Technological University of the Philippines (TUP) headed by its president Dr. Reynaldo Ramos, and Central Philippine State University (CPSU) in cooperation with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research And Agriculture (SEARCA), RU Foundry, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Kansas State University (KSU) facilitated the conduct of the Philippine Open-systems Agricultural Machinery Manufacturing Workshop on Conservation Agriculture No-Till Implements and Tools last February 13-16, 2023.
The said activity highlighted on the training-workshop and installation of conservation agriculture with drip irrigation for commercial vegetable production. Part of the discussion was on the timeline of activities for the team to identify so that the outcome would be translated to learning CA production system and machinery with and for the female and male farmers of Negros.
As the host school, CPSU President, Dr. Aladino C. Moraca, warmly welcomed all the guests, and participants, and stated that the aim of the training was to enhance capability to design, modify, and profitably manufacture agricultural machineries to accelerate adoption of Conservation Agriculture in the country.
The Research Professor of Kansas State University (KSU), Dr. Manuel “Manny” Reyes, together with Dr. Ted Kornecki, the Senior Research Scientist, Agricultural Engineer of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Agricultural Research Services (ARS), led the workshop and installation of Conservation Agriculture with Drip Irrigation for Commercial Vegetable Production.
The first two days was held at Nature’s Village Resort, Talisay City, in which the topic focused on the CA machineries. On the third day, the team went to CPSU- Main Campus, Kabankalan City to visit the various projects of the university such as the Green Tech Farm, the new Engineering building fully equipped with machines and facilities, the Muscovado Processing Center and the Tagukon Agricultural Tramline. The last day, February 16, 2023, was held at May’s Organic Garden, Bacolod City for the hands-on application of CA with drip irrigation for commercial and vegetable production.
The participants in the said workshop were from SEARCA, UP Los Banos, Ilocos State University, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, DOST, PHILMECH, DAR, Tractorco Co.,If Green, DEPED Sagay, CPSU, TUP Visayas, TUP Manila, TUP Cavite, TUP Taguig, RU technical team and farmers from Bago City. The said workshop was co-sponsored by RU Foundry Machine Shop Corporation (RUFMSC) SEARCA, and the USDA ARS and CPSU ECSO.
By: M. Matunding, R. Normor, (ABEL 4) & J.A. Emoy/ The Cenphilian Publication (TCP)
Photos: RDEC