KALINGA, February 22, 2022 – As a supplement to mango-based agroforestry implementation, two farmer cooperatives and associations (FCAs) from Rizal, Kalinga received grafted mango seedlings and vegetable seeds from the Department of Agriculture-Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
The intervention serves to support the fruit trees and poultry production project in Barangay San Quintin and fruit trees and goat production in Barangay San Francisco, with both projects having a total budget of Php 3,278,500 funded under FY 2021.
Each of the 140 members from both Calagango People’s Association Incorporated (CPAI) and Rang-ay San Quintin Farmers Association (RSQFA) received assorted vegetable seeds such as tomato, okra, ampalaya, eggplant, and chili pepper seeds in January this year.
Aside from seeds, SAAD CAR initially provided the said FCAs with planting materials, calamansi and dwarf coconut seedlings, goat/chicken stocks, and farm inputs and equipment in 2021. The interventions were used by the farmers in starting up their agroforestry implementation to cover their accumulated 100-hectare land.
Table 1. Received Interventions by the RSQFA and CAPI.
“Agyaman kami iti daytuy nga manen nga puunan nga inyeg ti SAAD. Mayat ti panagdakket ti manga dituy ayan mi ket sapay kuma ta nu agbungantu dagituy nga puon, makailaku kami ta isupay nga pag-inkaman,” shared Rogelio Jose, Chairperson of RSQFA.
(We are thankful for the capital that SAAD had brought. The growth of mango here in our area is good and hopefully when these trees start to bear fruits, we can market them to augment our income.)
Agroforestry-Farmers Field School
On December 23, 2021, the beneficiaries completed their four-session Farmers Field Schooling (FFS) covering the topics on Introduction to Agroforestry, Types of Propagation, Soil Medium Preparation, Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT), Introduction to A-frame, Systems of Agroforestry, and Natural Farming System Using Fermented Extracts.
Agroforestry is the integration of trees, shrubs, and livestock in one area and is considered to be a promising and sustainable approach to land use.
Demonstration and hands-on training were also steered to familiarize and upskill farmers on said topics by resource speakers Efraem Rodriguez from DA regional office, Patrocinio Telan and Benjamin Encartado from the municipal local government unit, and Rudy Gerlaban, practitioner of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) on vegetable, which was followed with a farm visit to a GAP certified farm.
Plans
In Barangay San Quintin, RSQFA, which received free-range chicken stocks in July 2021 started selling their egg production in their community.
On the other hand, Barangay San Francisco members, having 10 kids from their goat stocks, are planning to increase their production further prior to selling.
The FCAs are also expected to establish their respective enterprises by supplying the community with their products in the near future. ###
Writer: Sheen Dayagon, Information Officer I – Kalinga
