ILARRDEC reviews S&T-based farm proposals

BATAC, Ilocos Norte – PCARRD and the Ilocos Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (ILARRDEC) constituents reviewed twenty proposals for the establishment of S&T-based farms within the Ilocos region in a workshop held last 9-10 May.

The said workshop was part of the region’s effort in fast tracking the implementation of the S&T-based farm project under PCARRD’s Techno Gabay Program (TGP).

Local TGP teams from Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur presented their S&T-based farm proposals for evaluation and improvement.

Dr. Stanley Malab, ILARRDEC Consortium Director, welcomed the participants while
Dr. Danilo C. Cardenas, PCARRD Deputy Executive Director for Research and Development (R&D) talked on the guidelines for the establishment and management of S&T-based farms.

Technical experts from partner member agencies, PCARRD and the Institute of Plant Breeding - University of the Philippines Los Baños served as evaluators during the workshop.

Majority of the proposals presented focused on organic production of agricultural commodities such as guapple, rice, white corn, ube, eggplant, vegetables and rambutan. Livestock commodities included swine and goat. S&T-based farm proposals on bamboo and honey production were also presented.

PCARRD hopes to replicate the S&T-based farm workshop in the other 13 regional R&D consortia to guarantee the viability of S&T-based farms to be implemented.

The establishment of S&T-based farms is a component of the Enhancing FITS for Rural Development Program of TGP. It highlights the role of the Magsasaka Siyentista (MS) or farmer scientist on technology promotion and dissemination.

S&T-based farms are MS farms that showcase the effectiveness of S&T in improving farm productivity and increasing farm income. PCARRD looks forward to establishing one S&T-based farm in every FITS Center in the country. (Vanessa G. Villegas, S&T Media Service)