Region 6 research center grows off-season veggies
ILOILO City – Producing offseason high-value vegetables i s now possible with the establishment of 10 Smart Greenhouses at the government’s Western Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center ( WESVIARC) i n Barangay Hamungaya, Jaro district.
The South Korean government showcases this climate-proof technology through the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) – Education, Promotion, and Information Service in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (EPIS). The Department of Agriculture (DA) Western Visayas now advances the cultivation of high-value crops, mainly bell pepper, tomatoes, and mushroom.
DA secretary William Dar and MAFRA- EPIS president Dr. Lee Jong Soon inaugurated this foreign-assisted facility on March 31 through a ceremonial planting.
Meanwhile, WESVIARC researchers, on April 25, carried out the transplanting of 1,445 tomato and 775 paprika seedlings by following the prescribed technologies and good agricultural practices.
Out of the 10 greenhouses, six are now being used for oyster mushroom cultivation, while the rest are for bell pepper and tomatoes.
By utilizing this climate-smart, mechanized, and automated greenhouse technology, farmers in Iloilo could increase the supply of vegetables to meet the growing demand for food by the locals and tourists.
DA and MAFRA-EPIS would also maximize the smart greenhouses at WESVIARC as a training avenue for individual farmers and entrepreneurs who want to invest in this technology. (DA-6/