BY Alfonso
T. Ruda
DIPOLOG
CITY - A total of 28 farmers from the different barangays of this
city graduated on Tuesday from a six-month training given by the East-West Seed
Company, Inc. dubbed “Farmer’s Field School (FFS)” on high-value vegetable
production using natural farming system.
In
her message, Mayor Evelyn T. Uy urged the graduates to sustain their efforts, continue
using the natural farming technology, and refrain from using chemicals in their
farms.
The
lady mayor assured the farmers of the market for their produce saying “ the
City Agriculture Office (CAO) will buy their products and they will be given a
space at the city market.
Uy
also reiterated that the city government programs with DAR are now reaping
dividends. “The city government gave 50 percent as its counterpart to all the
ADB-funded projects implemented by DAR,” she declared.
The
28 graduates were composed of 17 males and 11 female farmers from barangays San
Jose, Gulayon, Sangkol, Diwan, Sinaman, Galas, Punta, Olingan, and Cogon.
The
six-month training was administered by East-West Seed Co, Inc., headed by Technology
Transfer Manager Dr. Roberto Acosta.
For
his part, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Mohammad Dassan J. Adju of
the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)-Zamboanga del Norte expressed his
gratitude to the provincial and city governments for providing counterpart funds
to the projects implemented by the department in the province.
Ms.
Enone Realiza, one of the graduates, challenged the other graduates to be proud
of being a farmer and to apply what they have learned during the training. She
also appealed to the buyers to buy their produce at a reasonable price.
To
ensure the market of their products, City Agriculturist Kerr Porlas said a
Memorandum of Marketing Agreement will be inked between the farmers and the
city government for the provision of a space at the city market for vegetables
and other agricultural products produced through natural farming system
technology.
The
top 5 graduates are Edgar V. Flores of Sinaman with the rating 92.5%, Edilito J. Murro of Sinaman-89.5%, Espedita
J. Cadano of Sangkol-87.5%, Rey S. Abequivel of San Jose-86.5, and Jovito S.
Ganta of San Jose 80.75 %.