Filipinas: Potato farmers train in seed production, certification
BAKUN, Benguet – Additional sources of quality potato tubers are expected in the coming years as more potato farmers in Bakun, Benguet continue to signify their interest in becoming certified potato seed growers.
This is also crucial as Bakun has been identified as the cluster area for potatoes in the Benguet province under the Farmers and Fisherfolk Clustering and Consolidation (F2C2) Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
To enhance their technical capacity to produce high-quality potato seeds, the DA-Cordillera in collaboration with its attached bureaus and agencies namely the Bureau of Plant Industry, Agricultural Training Institute-Cordillera, and Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) conducted a training course on potato seed production and certification for seed growers in barangay Kayapa on August 21-23, 2024.
Participated in by 20 potato farmers in Kayapa barangay, the training delved into safe handling and effective use of chemicals; good agricultural practices or GAP; domestic movement of plants and plant products; status of potato production in the region; cultural management practices of potato seed production; soil sampling, bagging, and tagging, and seed grower certification. Onsite practicum on soil sampling, field inspection, and rouging was also conducted on the third day for a learning demonstration by the participants.
Of the 20 participants, 10 farmers are already certified potato seed growers.
Remedios Lawingan of the DA-CAR High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) who served as one of the resource persons, underscored that the training is in support of the increased production of quality seeds of potatoes at the local level to lessen importation of certified planting materials.
Lawingan added that aside from the training, the HVCDP assists the certified potato growers by providing tagged stem cuttings and potato tubers to be grown as seeds. They also received seed storages, multi-cultivators, and UV plastic sheets through their organized farmers’ associations. The certified seed growers in Bakun who are members of the Bakun Farmers Association have started selling their produced quality potato tubers not only within their community but also to nearby municipalities like Mankayan.
The seed grower certification is being issued by the BPI valid for two years and renewable subject to the farmer’s compliance with the general guidelines for certification. By Janice Agrifino
Fuente: https://baguioheraldexpressonline.com/potato-farmers-train-in-seed-production-certification/#google_vignette
