Equipping farmers with innovative and sustainable farming technologies and practices are essential to the economic alleviation not only in the local community but the country, as a whole. Such is the goal of the Adaption and Initiatives in Agriculture or AMIA project of the Department of Agriculture in partnership with CPSU as the project implementer which started last October 24, 2020 to five (5) farmer associations in Pontevedra, Negros Occidental. With the completion of this free training course provided to the farmers known as the Climate-Resilient Field School or CRFS, a closing and graduation ceremony was held last December 22, 2020 at the AMIA Training Center located at Brgy. Gen. Malvar, Pontevedra, Negros Occidental.
The graduates were the farmers from the five associations namely, the Association of San Isidro Farmers (ASIF), San Isidro Small Water Impounding System Association (SISWISA), KAUSWAGAN Agrarian Reform Cooperative (KARC), General Malvar Irrigators Agrarian Reform Cooperative (GGMIARC) and the General Malvar Agrarian Reform Cooperative (GMARC).
The graduation rites was also attended by significant personalities instrumental in the successful realization of the project, such as the DA Region 6 representative Ruth Francisco, LGU Pontevedra Municipal Agriculturist Officer Teody L. Sayson, and Silvino Estrellanes as their Agricultural Technician, along with other AMIA staff.
With them were the CPSU President Dr. Aladino Moraca, the overall project coordinator and R and D director Dr. Angelie Rose Lumba, the project coordinator and Extension and Community Services director Dr. Jimmy Degillo, and Sir Raymond Antonio as the speaker.
The entire course focused on Climate Resilient Agriculture or CRA training that aimed to sustainably increase productivity, enhance resilience through adaptation measures and reduce or remove greenhouse gases through mitigation measures.
During the entire training period, farmer participants were taught and trained in SRI technology for rice production, principles of EASA, pest and disease identification and management, vermi-composting technology, livelihood diversification or also known as Conservation Agriculture which is CPSU’s current advocacy of regenerating the soil while increasing crop yield, biodiversity and climate change, basic meteorology and climatology, use of weather forecast and advisory, and seed banking and technology.
Dr. Moraca expressed his heartfelt gratitude for trusting CPSU as the implementing agency on various techno-driven livelihoods and assured harmonious and productive partnership with the farmers’ associations, LGU and DA. (Source: CPSU-RDEC)