UONG and balat, the Ilocano term for oyster mushroom and sea cucumber, respectively, have been featured in a recent event.
Due to the significance of these commodities to some sectors, the Ilocos Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium conducted the “Uong-Balat Farms and Industry Encounters through the Science and Technology Agenda (FIESTA)” which was held at the University of Northern Philippines in Vigan City.
FIESTA is a technology promotion, transfer and commercialization platform being initiated by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD).
The event adopted the theme “Agri-aqua industry for sustainable growth and collective prosperity” which also conducted activities regarding the production, marketing, and value adding of the featured commodities.
Despite the growing popularity of oyster mushroom and sea cucumber in the domestic and global communities, there are very few farmers and fisherfolk who engaged on these commodities, thus the need to promote their economic value as well as the technologies to enhance their production and use.
To attain this, the event adopted several strategies, among which is a cookfest featuring the best menu for oyster mushroom and sea cucumber; a dance showdown conceptualized according to the theme of the event; a techno forum, technology matching, and field visits.
The technology forum tackled the concerns of sea cucumber, particularly on the aspects of production, processing, and marketing.
Being a vital part of any FIESTA activity, the technology forum is always conducted to engage the concerned farmers and fisherfolk in learning and knowing the technology.
The event also provided a venue for interaction among technology generators, farmers, and fisherfolk, and other technology enthusiasts.
A representative of the Ilocos Sur Polytechnic College discussed the species identification and biology of sea cucumber in Region 1.
The sea cucumber’s role in the ecosystem and the need to come up with more management initiatives to conserve it was tackled.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources also presented the selection of breeders, spawning, larval rearing, and nursery rearing of sea cucumber.
On the other hand, a representative of Mariano Marcos State University discussed the use and marketing of sea cucumber in Ilocos Norte.
The collection, processing procedures, and the Philippine National Standard (PNS) for dried sea cucumber and its prices were likewise discussed.
It was learned that dried sea cucumber is now being exported to China, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Syria.
The culture and processing of sea cucumber as adopted in a Science and Technology Community-based Farm in La Union was also presented.
It was also learned that the sea ranching technology, also known as the “put and take” method, is a promising tool for the restoration and rehabilitation of sea cucumber stocks in overfished areas.
The open forum that followed provided an opportunity for interaction between the technology generators and sea cucumber enthusiasts.
It focused not only on technologies but also on other concerns such as availability of stocks and the possibility of using improvised culture areas. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)
