DEPARTMENT of Agriculture (DA) secretary William Dar recently visited the Victorias Campus of the Central Philippines State University (CPSU) for the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and turnover of DA-AMIA projects to farmers’ organizations in Negros Occidental.
The Adaptation and Mitigation Initiatives in Agriculture or AMIA program is a flagship project of the DA for climate adaptation and mitigation.
The MOA covers various projects of the university like the “Massive Cacao, Sweet Potato and Bamboo Propagation and Distribution” worth P2 million, and the “Bamboo Nursery Establishment Project” worth P500,000.
During the visit, Dar led the ceremonial distribution of AMIA projects to five farmers’ organizations, such as the Solar-Powered Irrigation System worth P1.7 million, 12 units of Rain Water Harvesters for each organization, and the establishment of the AMIA Training Center worth P1,638,500.
Joining the DA chief’s visit included DA-Western Visayas regional director Remelyn R. Recoter who is also a member of the CPSU Board of Regents, DA assistant secretary Noel Ocampo Reyes, DA assistant secretary for the Visayas Hansel O. Didulo, Victorias City mayor Francis Frederick Palanca, and Pontevedra senior agriculturist together with AMIA project leader Carmelita Fantilanan.
With them are CPSU officials led by President Dr. Aladino C. Moraca, VP for Academic Affairs Fernando D. Abello, College of Agriculture and Forestry dean Roland Marcel Bachiller, R&D director Angelie Rose Lumba, Extension and Community Services director Jimmy O. Degillo, CPSU Victorias Campus administrator Noel Fordente and other CPSU staff members, Victorias City officials, and cooperative leaders of the five farmer organizations.
The AMIA projects are funded by the DA’s Systems-Wide Climate Change Office in Pontevedra in partnership with CPSU as the implementer and training provider.
The series of trainings on Climate Resilient Agriculture Projects for the five farmers’ organizations were led and facilitated by Lumba and Degillo under the supervision of Research and Extension vice president Joel A. Perez.
The farmer-organization beneficiaries included the Association of San Isidro Farmers, San Isidro Small Water Impounding System Association, KAUSWAGAN Agrarian Reform Cooperative, General Malvar Irrigators Agrarian Reform Cooperative, and the General Malvar Agrarian Reform Cooperative.
Following the ceremonies, the DA chief commended the CPSU’s Victorias Campus for being the first to offer courses on Veterinary Medicine in Negros Occidental.
With this, Moraca expressed his gratitude to the support being provided by Dar, saying that “these agricultural technologies generated by the CPSU are worthwhile agricultural and livelihood programs for the farmers.”
“The flour production pursued by CPSU will make use of underutilized rootcrops like sweet potato and taro, among others. Through this, we believe that importation (of commercial flour) will be reduced, and the creation of livelihood opportunities for the community will be ensured,” Moraca said, adding that farmers and their families are the university’s partners in the whole process of local flour production.
“The CPSU will continue to dedicate future innovations and projects to help the farmers, the community, the region and the country as well, as the university makes its way as ‘the seed of life-changing technologies,’” Moraca said./PN
