Josefina rubber farmers undergo productivity, quality improvement training

By Gideon C. Corgue

             

PAGADIAN CITY – In a bid to help rubber plantation owners and farmers to produce higher yield and better quality variety of rubber, a  four-day training on rubber productivity and quality improvement was held on Aug. 27-20 at the old municipal hall in Josefina, Zamboanga del Sur.

The training was jointly conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA), Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), PhilHealth, Social Security System (SSS) and the municipal government of Josefina.

DTI Senior Trade and Industry Development Specialist Reynaldo Pintacasi said his agency led the convergence efforts and convened the above agencies to help rubber plantation owners and farmers increase their yield and improve the quality of their produce.

“The market is very tight and the demand is rising but the rubber production in the province remains low because of farmers’ lack of knowledge on the technology as well as the lack of quality planting materials.”

Pintacasi said the training conducted in Josefina was the first batch, while the second and third batches are slated to be held next month in the municipalities of Dumingag and Bayog.

To ensure the success of the training, Pintacasi said the following agencies provided these services: DTI conducts free lecture on entrepreneurship; DOLE gives free starter kits worth 4,000 each; TESDA provides free competency assessment; ATI provides free skills training; PhilHealth and SSS disseminate universal health care insurance and social security programs; and the LGU provides free venue, meals and supplies.

TESDA Provincial Director Eulalalio Lumactod in his message underscored the importance of technology in rubber tapping saying that “with the use of technology, the quality of rubber will be improved giving the farmers better prices in the market.”    

Lucmactod said his agency’s approach “is to educate stakeholders from rubber industry based on its available resources.”

“We are introducing resource-based and market driven technical skills education to generate employment,” Lumactod explained.

Lumactod expressed confidence that “with this training, more farmers would venture into rubber farming and quality rubber will be produced by farmers.”

An agriculturist from the ATI taught the participants how to do rubber tapping and how to take care of the rubber tree. He told them not to cut deep so as not to injure the tree.

Josefina has 232 hectares of land planted with rubber, making it one of the largest-rubber producing municipalities in the province (PIA9)