DA’s training on organic corn production in Calbayog produced 33 farmer-graduates (AIMEE A. CATALAN/PR 2014-28) Calbayog City, Samar, July 31, 2014 – 18 farm technicians, 13 farmers and two teachers in Brgy. Anislag completed the 4-month Farmers Field School (FFS) on Organic Corn Production. Their simple graduation was held at the Barangay Hall Thursday July 31. Regional Corn Specialist Mr. Fabian Aldiano and Mayor Ronaldo P. Aquino witnessed the closing of the season-long training which started March 31 and ended July 31. This season-long training on Corn Integrated Production is held in support of the Agri-Pinoy Corn Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) which aims to increase production of quality corn for human consumption, great source of feeds for the livestock and poultry, industrial uses for energy and beverage, as well as empower the farmers and increase their income, thereby improving their quality of life. In his message, Corn Specialist Mr. Aldiano said that the concept of Farmers Field School started in Indonesia in the year 1989 on the study of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in rice. Since then, many countries in different parts of the world have started to use FFS, including the Philippines, for an increasing range of topics, one of which, is on Organic Corn Production. Mr. Aldiano added that the aim to increase organic production of quality corn is in line with DA’s shift in focus from adopting the Rice Self-Sufficiency Program to its current flagship program called “Food Staples Sufficiency Program” (FSSP) which likewise aims to encourage the consumption of staple food substitutes such as corn, as the second most important crop in the country and serves as the largest food alternative eaten by Filipinos, towards achieving food security. Another significant point Aldiano mentioned in his message about raising corn quality standards in the country is the health benefit one can get from corn consumption. In fact, one intervention the DA is presently promoting is their campaign which says, “Kumain ng Mais, Iwas Diabetes”. For his part, Mayor Aquino said, “the only possession that we have that even borrowed will not diminish is our knowledge.” This quote, according to him, encourages the graduates not only to become productive on their own technology application in corn farming, but also to share to others the knowledge and inputs they have discovered and learned from this 4-month training on corn production. Meanwhile, City Agriculturist Adela Ocenar, who is also the City Nutrition Action Officer, said that corn production and consumption is best suit to mitigate malnutrition. According to studies conducted by the Institute of Human Nutrition and Food, the economic situation of the country is one of the major factors that set the prevalence of malnutrition because of rice production that is not enough to meet the consumption needs of the people. This study, Ocenar added, is one of the reasons why another institute, the Institute of Plant Breeding of the College of Agriculture started to advocate corn as food for humans and also suggested to slowly introduce corn on the Filipino diet by blending rice with corn. This closing program of the Farmers Field School on Organic Corn Production was highlighted with the Presentation of Output by the farmer-graduates, and the P250-Thousand pledge of Mayor Aquino for the purchase of variety of corn seeds to start corn production in Brgy. Anislag. *** (photo courtesy of Ian Villanueva Baldomaro)
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 11:52:20 +0000
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