BARILI FARMERS WANT TO BE FIRST CORN PRODUCERS IN SOUTH CEBU

Seventy members of the Bagakay-Nasipit Vegetable Irrigators Association have joined the compact corn techno-demo in Barangay Bagacay, Barili, Cebu

TO HARNESS the available modern technology on corn planting, the Department of Agriculture (DA) 7 has conducted a compact corn techno-demo in a 10-hectare farm in Barangay Bagacay, Barili, Cebu.

In a statement, the DA 7 said the activity will boost the country’s efforts on farm modernization.

“DA Chief William Dar aims for farm modernization where farmers will plant not only for their family’s consumption but for everyone,” said Norberto Ouano, DA 7 corn program focal person, in the official Facebook page of the DA 7.

The techno-demo field day was held on Sept. 27, 2019 and was attended by more than 70 members of Bagakay-Nasipit Vegetable Irrigators Association.

Marya Zea Villaganas, agriculturist II of the Cebu Provincial Agriculture Office, said with modern technology, farmers would benefit more if they would embrace these practices to produce more climate-resilient and productive corn harvests.

“This will also help your association because you can use the income generated as seed capital,” Villaganas said.

The 70 members of the association had a farm visit in a three-hectare farm planted with open-pollinated variety corn and in a seven-hectare farm planted with hybrid yellow corn.

“We are expected to harvest higher yield and that is because we followed the protocol on corn farming taught by the facilitators,” said Mansueta Villegas, one of the members of the association.

Paterno Lozada, the association president, said they were thankful that the DA brought the project to their area.

“We wanted Barili to be the first corn producer in the south of Cebu,” Lozada said.

Dr. Roldan Saragena, Cebu Provincial Agriculturist, assured the participants that the government will continue to support and assist the farmers.

The 10-hectare compact corn techno-demo was a joint program of the Department of Agriculture Corn Program, Cebu Provincial Agriculture Office, Barili Municipal Agriculture Office and the Bagakay Farmers Association.

The project is part of the government’s intensified efforts to boost the agricultural sector of the country to attain food security.