Thirty farmers from Barangay Banilad, Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental completed on Tuesday the Farmer Field School: Season-Long Training on Organic Vegetable Production as initiated by the local government through the City Agriculturist’s Office.
City Agriculture Officer William Ablong explained the four-month training course, which started last July, aims to promote organic farming, support the need for organic products in the local market and increase the yield of farmers through a technology introduced to them.
The technology, dubbed Integrated Pests Management, utilizes biological control agents such as the Trichogramma chilonis against pests that attack crops and plants, Ablong explained.
Ablong disclosed that Banilad farmers can now provide the local market with organic produce as demand for it in the city is slowly growing.
During simple graduation ceremonies Tuesday, the farmers from Barangay Banilad also harvested their crops such as tomatoes and eggplants, said Ablong.
The training started last July 22 with the 30 training participants all members of the Cauliflower Farmers’ Association of Banilad.
This is the second training of its kind in Dumaguete, the first one held last year also in Barangay Banilad, according to the city agriculturist.
The City Agriculturist’s Office, the Negros Oriental Provincial Agriculturist’s Office and the Agricultural Training Institute of the Department of Agriculture conducted the training.
Ablong acknowledged and thanked the training teams, as well as the DCCCO Multi-purpose Cooperative for providing support such as materials and food for the trainees during the course of the training.
He expressed hope that another Farmer Field School in a different barangay in Dumaguete City can be established for similar trainings in the future. (PNA/JFP)
