AGGIE UPDATE

Gawad Saka award for Vigan

VIGAN CITY — The Vigan City Agriculture and Fishery Council was adjudged as the country’s most outstanding organizational achiever in this year’s annual national search for Gawad Saka awardees, it was reported.

The Vigan CAFC won the prestigious award after garnering high rating in all aspects considered in the evaluation. The council initiated the provision of certified and hybrid seeds, irrigation facilities, post-harvest facilities, cattle-dispersal projects, integrated pest management training, hammer mills, and power sprayers. It had also strengthened farmers cooperatives.

In the livestock sector, the council provided veterinary services to farm animals such as deworming, castration, anti-rabies vaccination, and vitamin supplements.

Through its Rural Improvement Club and 4-H Club, the council effectively campaigned for backyard food production, launched income-generating projects, and promoted swine and poultry raising and meat processing. It likewise undertook goat dispersal and buying and selling of rice.

City Mayor Eva Marie Singson-Medina was elated upon learning that the Vigan CAFC won the national award. "This coveted award could not have been achieved by the city without the all-out cooperation of our residents," she said.

The mayor said the city agriculture office headed by Cecilio Q. Acena Jr., with the cooperation of the CAFC under the chairmanship of Melanio Aquino, continues to encourage people’s participation and empowerment in agriculture and fishery development through sectoral representation in the agricultural policy-making body.

CAFC is tasked to formulate and execute plans to meet the needs of consumers and promote self-reliant farm systems that emphasize social justice, equity, productivity, and sustainability in the use of agriculture and fishery resources.

For the last two consecutive years, 2006 and 2007, Vigan CAFC was chosen as the outstanding CAFC in Region 1. But through its efforts to continuously implement, monitor, and evaluate sustainable programs and projects to uplift the living standards of rural people, the council won the award.

For winning the award, the Vigan CAFC is expected to receive a cash prize of P150,000, a trophy, and a citation. Mayor Medina will receive the award in Malacanang.

The Gawad Saka Award showcases achievements and success stories of small-scale farmers and fishermen who have increased their harvest through the use of modern technology.

The award is also aimed at empowering agriculture achievers by recognizing their noble contribution to agricultural development. The Gawad Saka is a yearly undertaking of the Department of Agriculture in cooperation with other government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector. – Freddie G. Lazaro I


Improving farmers’ lives with postharvest facilities
The Department of Agriculture continues to assist farmers in developing the corn industry of the Cordillera with the provision of postharvest facilities, equipment and production inputs.

From 1994 to 2008, the DA has provided a total of 1114 corn postharvest facilities and equipment to farmers’ cooperatives, local government units and state colleges and universities to promote and improve the livelihood of corn farmers in the region. The total cost of the facilities and equipment provided to the industry is P2,600,000.00 jointly shared by the DA, proponent LGU, and the beneficiaries. The total share of the DA is the purchase and set-up of these vital facilities and equipment is P1,200,000.00.

A report furnished by Gerardo Banawa, Regional Coordinator of the GMA corn program in the Cordillera to DA regional executive director Cesar Rodriguez showed that farmers requested drying facilities, bodegas, sheds, warehouses, rice mill, trading post, thresher, sheller, huster, packaging and processing plants, among others.

Some of the funds of the program were shared to Benguet Province in the establishment of bodega, packaging and processing plant for fruits and vegetables, improvement of vegetable trading post facility and development of pre-cooling center. Most of the facilities and equipment went to Kalinga Province with 381, followed by Apayao with 220; Abra, 177; Ifugao, 165; Mt. Province, 86; and, Benguet, 82.

The corn area in the Cordillera has dramatically increased through the years starting from an estimated 20,000 hectares in CY 2000 to 48,010.36 hectares today planted to white and yellow corn varieties. In the GMA-Corn program areas, the actual production of corn last year was recorded at 58,035 metric tons. The targeted production in these areas is expected to expand further this year to 65,187 metric tons.

This year, the GMA-Corn Program of the DA will assist corn growers with seed subsidy, organic-based production inputs, farm mechanization equipment, postharvest facilities, farmers’ education and support to LGU extension workers. It also supports marketing and research activities for corn development in the Cordillera. – Robert L. Domoguen