Thursday, November 26, 2009

DA RFU 13 Conducts Hands-on Training on PhilRice-B&S Combine Rice Harvester


by: Aurell P. Arais


Butuan City – To maximize farm mechanization in Caraga Region, the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Unit 13 (DA RFU13) through the Regional Agriculture Engineering Division (RAED) spearheaded a Hands-on Training on PhilRice Combine Harvester last November 4-5, 2009.

Participants of the said two day activity were Agricultural Engineers and Technicians from provincial agriculture offices of Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, and City Agriculture Office of Butuan.

Gracing the occasion were Engr. Rene Morales, RAED OIC; Regional Rice Coordinator June Anthony Ouano; Regional Technical Director for Operations Eliseo Tila; and Regional Executive Director Ricardo Regis.

First day of the training was briefing about the Combine Rice Harvester specifically about its design and parts familiarization held at DA 13 Conference Room and the subsequent day was the actual demonstration and operation of the farm machine held at the rice field of Barangay Captain Desiderio Tabelon of Tiniwisan, Butuan City.

During the briefing Engr. Alfredo Penafiel Jr. said that the machine has outstanding features such as Combines harvesting, threshing, cleaning, and bagging; can harvest 1hectare a day; with grain losses from 1-3%; lower harvesting cost compared to traditional; lightweight and small; easy to operate and designed for local condition and locally manufactured.

Based on an earlier model from China, the said farm implement is manufactured by Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Central Experiment Station based in Science City of Monuz, Nueva Ecija in collaboration with the Briggs & Stratton Corporation.

Each region in the country was provided of such farm implement for demonstration purposes for the farmers to appreciate the usefulness and advantages of the machine and eventually adopt it on their respective farms.

After giving the participants the opportunity to operate the unit, comments or suggestions were gathered about the performance of the machine and was taken by representatives of PhilRice Agusan Experiment Stations as basis for possible further innovations or improvements.

Farm mechanization is a step to address problem of losses incurred both in the production and post production operations affecting the agriculture industry and forms part of the implementation of agricultural mechanization program under Republic Act 8435 otherwise known as the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA). (Aurell P. Arais/RAFID DA CARAGA)

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DA RFU 13 Hosts BPI-RCPC-KASAKALIKASAN National Workshop


by: Aurell P. Arais


Carmen, Agusan del Norte – The Department of Agriculture Regional Field Unit 13 successfully hosted the four day National Workshop to Strengthen BPI-RCPC-KASAKALIKASAN Linkage in Support of Village Crop Protection Strategies held at Veranda 2, Carmen, Agusan del Norte.

A total of 65 crop program stakeholders coming from all regions in Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon who are serving under the department of agriculture regional field unit offices and few from provincial level flocked and join the pool of participants.

Gracing the occasion were Dr. Jesus Binamira, National Program Officer of KASAKALIKASAN; Ms. Wilma Cuaterno, Chief of Crop Protection Division of Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) and the host Regional Executive Director Ricardo Regis of DA RFU 13.

During the opening program, RED Regis emphasized the importance of strengthening the linkages of Bureau of Plant Industry, Regional Crop Protection Center (RCPC) and KASAKALIKASAN to bolster the effort in increasing food production in the country.

Meanwhile, Dr. Binamira challenges all the participants to look for ways to enhance crop protection through pest management and be alert on the eventualities brought about by climate change.

He said that there is urgency for the participants to make the farmers be adaptive on the realities brought about by climate change through providing “a responsive, accurate surveillance, management and system”.

Highlight of the workshop was the sharing of programs and projects undertaken each region in crop protection as well as its experiences and its plans to strengthen pest management program.

A special program was also conducted as tribute to two colleagues who are bound to retire from government service soon; namely Pepito Leysa and Sammy Simbajon.

During the entire duration of the national gathering, RED Regis made every effort to ensure the event more fruitful and memorable that actually really paid off as the participants show eagerness in all their activity. (Aurell P. Arais/RAFID DA CARAGA)


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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Programang Gulayan ng Masa (PGMA) Addresses Rights of a Child to Grow Healthy


by: Aurell P. Arais

Brgy. Magsaysay, Veruela, Agusan del Sur - Principle 4 of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child as proclaimed by the UN General Assembly resolution 1386 (XIV) of November 1959 states that “The child shall enjoy the benefits of social security. He shall be entitled to grow and develop in health…The child has the right to adequate nutrition, housing, recreation and medical services.

Part and parcel to comply the said provision, the Municipal Agriculture Office of Veruela, Agusan del Sur through its Agricultural Extension Workers strengthen its advocacy to the community to have their own communal garden and to the household to have its backyard gardens. One of the barangay that responded the advocacy fervently is Barangay Magsaysay of Agusan del Sur.

In Purok 1 of the said barangay, residents help each other to take care and maintain their communal garden aside from their gardens on their respective houses.

The said purok availed of the assistance from the Department of Agriculture through Programang Gulayan ng Masa (PGMA) such as free vegetable seeds and other inputs as well as trainings.

According to Elesio Nonog, 62 years old, a barangay treasurer that since the implementation of the PGMA project in their area, residents were encourage to plant vegetables thus minimizing wastage of time.

The produce..? Well, pupils from day care center enjoyed the good and nutritious meal during feeding activities.

Nonog said that they see to it that foods to be served during feeding program is nutritious and will surely nourish their kids, thus veggie menu is on the top of the list.

Moreover unconsumed produce will be divided by the residents in the community who renders their time on the communal garden.

Nonog shared that he himself feels good and rejuvenated every time he eats vegetables. “Siyempre makadugang gyud na sa kusog ug enerhiya” (Of course it can adds strength and energy), he said in vernacular.

Meanwhile Maria Nona Ramillano, Agricultural Technician on the area said that she feels happy and fulfilled since her hard labor finally takes off on persuading the residents to engage in gardening.

“Pinaagi sa mga meeting sa Farmers Association (FA) ug Rural Improvement Club (RIC) ako gyud silang ginadasig nga mananum ug gulay ug gipahibalo nako sa ila ang advantage niini aron mapakunhod ang malnourished nga mga kabataan sa barangay (Through meetings of Farmers Associations and Rural Improvement Club I really advocated them to plant vegetables by presenting the advantages of doing as such which would greatly help to eliminate malnourished children in the barangay), she said.

Programang Gulayan ng Masa (PGMA) is a project of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Department of Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap with the help of Local Government Units (LGU’s) and other private sector which aims to reduce rural hunger and malnutrition through the promotion of home, communal, barangay and school gardening in the country. (Aurell P. Arais/RAFID-DA CARAGA)



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Barangay LGU Policy:Plant Vegetable First Before Obtaining Barangay Clearance…


by: Aurell P. Arais

Brgy. Karaos, San Francisco, ADS – The rule is clear! If you want to obtain a certification or clearance from the barangay, show first your vegetable garden, thus said Barangay Captain Delailah Bacera of Barangay Karaos, San Francisco, Agusan del Sur.

Barangay Captain Delailah Bacera said that to attain food sufficiency and to eradicate malnutrition in the barangay, political will of a local chief executive is very much crucial that is why they imposed such policy.

According to her, before a barangay resident can obtain a barangay certification or clearce, he or she shall get an approval from the purok chairman which in turn the purok chairman rules that only those purok residents who have their own backyard garden or at least render time on the communal garden during pahina (bayanihan) will be given an approval.

As a result it is seldom to see a house without a garden and a purok waiting shed without a garden on its background.

Communal garden or backyard garden in Barangay Karaos bears various veggies such as eggplant (talong), bitter gourd (ampalaya), alugbati, string beans, patola, lemon grass (tanglad), kangkong, camote and some herbal plants.

To sustain the program, a yearly search will be conducted by the barangay for outstanding puroks who sustain and maintain their respective gardens with prizes at stake.

“Mao ni ang among paagi sa pagsuporta sa Programang Gulayan ng Masa (PGMA) sa atong pinanggang presidente” (This is our way of supporting the Programang Gulayan ng Masa, a program of our beloved president), Bacera said in vernacular.

Meanwhile, Purok 5 Chairman Efren Armodia expressed his gratitude to the Department of Agriculture for providing free seeds and other inputs which deeply encourages his constituents to plant vegetables. And indeed empower him to exercise his authority as purok chairman since a resident who want to transact in the barangay office should bear his approval first.

“Kaniadto mamalit mi ug gulay sa merkado karon dili na gyud kay naa naman sa among nataran mismo ug presko pa gyud” (Before we bought vegetables from the market but now no more since we can get it from our own backyard and so fresh”, he said with a smile.

Programang Gulayan ng Masa (PGMA) is a project of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Department of Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap with the help of Local Government Units (LGU’s) and other private sector which aims to reduce rural hunger and malnutrition through the promotion of home, communal, barangay and school gardening in the country. (Aurell P. Arais/RAFID-DA CARAGA)


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Barangay LGU Policy: