The Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program in Cagayan Valley successfully conducted a two-day training on Sustainable Lowland Vegetable Production and Ube Production for members of the Natalged A Sicul Integrated Farmers Association (NASIGA) last April 16-17, 2026, in Barangay Sicul, Santa Praxedes, Cagayan.
NASIGA, a newly organized farmers’ association under the SAAD Program, is composed of local farmers working to strengthen food security and improve livelihood opportunities in their community. As part of the program’s social preparation and capacity-building efforts, the training focused on equipping members with practical knowledge and skills that are suitable to their local conditions.
The activity combined lectures with hands-on demonstrations allowing participants to better understand and apply key farming practices. Discussions on sustainable lowland vegetable production covered topics such as introduction to vegetable farming, site selection, appropriate crop choices, seedling production, land preparation, mulching, crop establishment, proper care and management, fertilization, irrigation, and harvesting.
Meanwhile, sessions on ube production focused on proper land preparation, planting techniques, pest and disease management, and post-harvest handling.
To reinforce learning, participants actively took part in practical exercises, including seedling production, plot and bed preparation, mulching, fertilizer application, transplanting, and the preparation and planting of ube sets in designated demonstration areas.
“Malaking tulong ang training na ito para sa aming bagong grupo. Hindi lang kami natuto sa lecture, pero nakita at nasubukan din namin mismo kung paano gawin,” said NASIGA President Roderick Gaudia.
(This training is a great help to our new group. We didn’t just learn from the lectures but we were also able to see and try how to do it ourselves).
SAAD Area Coordinator Sherryl B. Arnedo emphasized that the activity is part of the program’s continued support to organized farmers’ associations under phase 2 implementation.
“Through capacity building and production support, we aim to help NASIGA develop into a sustainable enterprise that can supply vegetables and ube within Santa Praxedes and nearby markets such as Claveria,” she said.
The training concluded with the distribution of starter kits containing vegetable seeds and ube planting materials, enabling participants to immediately apply their newly acquired knowledge. ###
