SURIGAO DEL NORTE, May 30, 2023 – To enrich the farmers’ local knowledge and practice, the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Caraga conducted Vegetable Production and Management Training catering to 25 farmers from the newly covered province of Surigao del Norte (SDN) from May 23 to 24, 2023 in San Isidro, SDN. 

Participated by members of Caridad Vegetable Association (CAVEA) from Pilar, SDN, the training covered the industry’s situation, crop and cultural practices, and other considerations for establishing a vegetable plantation.

Romer S. Amante, Agriculturist I of the DA – Caraga Agricultural Program Coordinating Office – Agusan del Sur, served as the training resource person.

Mr. Amante also prepared a cost-and-return analysis of the vegetables commonly grown by the farmers, emphasizing their high profitability under the appropriate considerations, such as site or area, soil type and quality being well-drained sandy loam soil, accessible water, climate and weather factors, and seeds and plant stock.

CAVEA receives a communal vegetable production project from the Program that includes vegetable seeds (tomato, eggplant, ampalaya, cucumber, pepper, okra, patola) farm tools, pesticides, and fertilizers amounting to Php 1,038,980. 

During the Beneficiary Needs Assessment (BNA) conducted by SAAD Caraga in March this year, vegetable production emerged among the priority proposed projects of the group. However, they reported the lack of training on managing vegetable production and practices for better yield, and farm tools – which are addressed with SAAD’s package of livelihood interventions. 

“Kadalasan sa miyembro sa CAVEA naanad nga pang kunsomo lang ang among gulay. Karon, pinaagi sa SAAD apilan sa training, maningkamot mi nga mo daghan na ang among abot labi na kay nadugangan among kahibalo sa mga konsiderasyon ug angay nga practice para sa gulayan,” said Mr. Ramie Minguita, CAVEA member.

(Most of CAVEA members’ produce is for consumption. But through the assistance of SAAD with the project, including the training, we will strive to increase yield, especially since we learned more about the considerations and appropriate practices for vegetable production.)

The group is currently in the land preparation stage and plans to plant in June this year. Upon the site visit, Mr. Amante also suggested a suitable farm layout for their plantation, introducing the A-frame tool for sloping terrains to prevent soil, nutrients, and water from being washed away.

The farmers also toured the Tropical Academy (training venue) and learned directly from local farm workers about the organically grown crops and its vermicomposting facility. 

The Tropical Academy is among the farm learning sites established by the Lokal Lab, a grassroots non-government organization aiming to create a self-sufficient Siargao through regenerative farming.

Writer: Mark Angelo C. Pineda, DA-SAAD Caraga Information Officer