DA Caraga and LGUs Prepares for Rainy Season

Prevention is better than cure!

An approach embraced by the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 13 and its counterparts in the local governments in anticipation for possible emergence of pests and diseases on rice amid the incoming rainy season.

In Surigao del Sur, DA and the Provincial Agriculture Office conducted a talakayan with the farmers about rice pests and diseases last June 12-17, 2016.

One of the cluster in Cantilan, SDS with your blogger as facilitator

The talakayan (forum) was conducted in 7 clustered sites attended by almost 500 farmers and agricultural extension workers (AEWs) from 17 municipalities and two component cities, Bislig and Tandag.

Surigao del Sur Provincial Agriculturist Marcos Quico appealed to the AEWs to strengthen pest monitoring in their respective areas.

“I am urging all farmers to enhance the two way communication between farmers and agri-extensionists in order to address promptly in case of pests and diseases emergence,” Quico said.

DA Caraga Field Operations Division Chief (FOD) Rebecca Atega stressed the need that farmers should be resilient nowadays to sustain production amidst weather uncertainty.

“Our farmers need to be vigilant and capacitated on what to do in case of pests’ infestation to ensure food supply for the Filipinos,” she said.

Same activities are on the pipeline to be undertaken in other areas in Caraga for the coming days.

Last cropping season, some municipalities of Surigao del Sur experienced mild infestation of BPH where the situation had been curb earlier with adequate technical knowhow of the affected farmers.

As preventive measures for the current planting season, Surigao del Sur LGUs and DA will distribute metarhizium as an initial application to the farms against harmful insects affecting rice such as BPH and Rice Black Bug.

Metarhizium anisopliae, formerly known as Entomophthora anisopliae (basionym), is a fungus that grows naturally in soils throughout the world and causes disease in various insects by acting as a parasitoid. The fungus then develops inside the body eventually killing the insect after a few days through a disease called green muscardine disease because of the green color of its spores.

Metarhizium anisopliae is one of the biocontrol being developed in RCPC Caraga situated at Trento, Agusan del Sur.  (Aurelius P. Arais/DA Caraga)

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DA Caraga Turns-over Modern Corn Drying Facility to Agusan Farmers

Turn-over of key of responsibility with DA RED Edna Mabeza and Mayor Rosales

To help corn farmers attain premium quality of their produce, the Department of Agriculture Caraga turned-over another Village Type Corn Postharvest Processing Center to the farmers through the local government unit of Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte last June 1, 2016.

The second unit established in the said town and third in the region, the Village Type Corn Postharvest Processing Center situated in Brgy. Pinana-an, is a modern drying and shelling facility worth P3.5 million pesos and has a capacity of processing 10 tons of corn.

The facility will process either freshly harvested corn in cob or shelled kernels that need further drying just for a very minimal fee.

DA Caraga Regional Director Edna Mabeza said that modern drying facility helps to eliminate poor quality of corn that may pose health hazard to human and animal due to aflatoxin.

“There are reports based on laboratory test results that some areas are having high aflatoxin level of corn produce which primarily means delayed drying after harvesting,” she said.

According to corn quality parameter, aflatoxin level of corn for feed purposes must not exceed the tolerable limit of 50 parts per billion (pbb) and for human consumption of not more than 20 pbb.

Las Nieves Mayor Avelina Rosales extended her gratitude to DA Caraga for supporting their corn farmers and vowed to implement measures to ensure sustainability of the project.

“I am urging the farmers to help maintain the facility because it is a multi-million peso project from the government and be cooperative on the policy that we are going to implement to make this project sustainable,” she said.

Aside from corn, the facility is also designed to dry palay thus making it more advantageous for the farmers.

The first Village Type Corn Postharvest Processing Center funded through DA is located at Brgy. Tiniwisan, Butuan City, followed by at Brgy. Malicato of Las Nieves and the third is the recently turned-over.

More of this kind is on the pipeline for completion in various parts of the region implemented under AgriPinoy Corn Program. (Aurelius P. Arais/DA Caraga)

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Data: Vital for Agricultural Development

DA RFO 13 ARD Edgardo Dahino emphasizes the importance of data

Figure tells story.

To come up with a comprehensive outlook of the agricultural trends for rice and corn, the Department of Agriculture Caraga in partnership with the Philippine Statistics Authority is currently drafting an agricultural information and early warning system.

An initial step was the conduct of the orientation on rice and corn information and early warning system situation report preparation last May 24-26, 2016.

Armed with agricultural data, five provinces in Caraga Region including Butuan City, participated the activity and came up with their respective situation report.

Initially, the plan was to cover 2014-2015 cropping sessions but DA regional office geared towards expanding the scope to cover 2011-15 to come up a comprehensive outlook.

“This information is vital for our decision makers as well as for investors so they will have a clear picture what is the agricultural scenario here in Caraga,” Assistant Regional Director for Operations and LGU Support Edgardo Dahino said.

Reports from the respective local government units will be consolidated by the DA regional office to come up with the regional situation report and will be the basis for the crafting of the agricultural early warning system.

Data to be included are physical area of rice and corn and its ecosystems, weather pattern, production, government interventions and supports, marketing aspects, challenges, and more. 

To make it more comprehensive, data from attached agencies and other national line agencies engaged in serving the farmers such as National Irrigation Administration, Department of Agrarian Reform, National Food Authority, Philippine Rice Research Institute, Agricultural Training Institute among others will be incorporated.

Melchor Bautista, Statistical Operations and Coordination Division Chief of PSA Caraga said that agricultural information based on data is a vital tool in planning and decision making both for the government and farmers alike.(Aurelius P. Arais/DA Caraga)

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DA Caraga Sets in Motion for Women Empowerment

Mabuhay ang mga Kababayen-an!

The Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 13 (DA RFO 13) strongly supports the empowerment of women by allocating 5% of its budget for Gender and Development (GAD) activities pursuant to Republic Act 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women (MCW). 

Aside from funding support, DA RFO 13 took an active role during the celebration of women’s month every March through participating the civic parade, sports activities, forums and showcase of talents.

This year, Paterna Velasques, chairperson of Mangagoy Fishermen Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MAFISCO) in Bislig City was awarded as regional winner for the Search for Outstanding Rural Women.

She will be the contender for Caraga Region in the national level and the national awarding is tentatively set during the World Food celebration on October.

To capacitate the women, organic vegetable production training was conducted in Anticala, Butuan City recently. 

Other trainings are on the pipeline such as cacao production, banana chips processing and coffee production, including the conduct of reproductive health forum.

Implementation of GAD related activities and facilitating women concerns are given utmost priority through DA RFO 13 GAD focal person Isabelita Ocampo. (Aurelius P. Arais/DA Caraga).

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DA Caraga Employs Youth for Summer Job

1st Batch of the DA Caraga's SYIP 2016             Photo by: Fred Abrea

Earning while learning!

The Department of Agriculture is now opening an opportunity for the youth to take part in government service and make their summertime more meaningful and productive through the Summer Youth Internship Program (SYIP).

SYIP is DA’s participation to the Government Internship Program (GIP) in line with Section 13 of Article II of the 1987 Constitution which provides that the State shall promote and protect the physical, moral, spiritual, and social well-being of the young people and inculcate in the youth the spirit of patriotism and nationalism and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs.

This year, 30 youth were successfully accepted in the SYIP wherein the first half will be reporting for duty from April 1 to April 30 while the second batch will start on May 1 to May 31, 2016.

SYIP successful applicants were assigned in different divisions or sections in DA Regional Office performing ordinary office works such as typing, encoding, sorting, machine reproduction and the like. 

The youth participants shall render service for eight hours daily at regular office hours (8:00 am to 5:00 pm) from Monday to Friday.

Maria Victoria Monteclaro, Chief of the Human Resources Management Office said that SYIP participants will receive the prevailing minimum wage in Caraga amounting to P268.00 per day to be released every 15 days.

“This is one of our way of serving the country by molding the minds of our youth and exposing them in the government service, helping them to earn as a preparation for the next school year,” Monteclaro said.

Summer Youth Internship Program is open for young people, 15-25 years old, students or out of school youth that hasn’t stopped school for more than 2 years and preferably farmer or fisherfolk family member and or Indigenous People (IP).

Cherry Mae Rojo Bonane, 19 years old from Santiago, Agusan del Norte, one of the successful youth applicants said that her earnings will be allocated for her enrollment fee in the incoming school year and for expenses of her stay in Butuan City while working. 

“I am so grateful to DA for giving an opportunity for the youth and I am hoping that this program will continue so more family who are in need will benefit as well,” she said. 

Cherry Mae Bonane is an incoming third year student taking up Bachelor in Agricultural Technology (BAT) in Surigao State College of Technology (SSCT) Mainit, Surigao del Norte campus.

Now on its 6^th year, SYIP is an annual program of DA Regional Field Office 13 implemented since 2011. (Aurelius P. Arais/DA Caraga)

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