Written and Photos, Taken by Radel Llagas
Some 40 farmers composed of corn and new corn farmers from Alaminos and San Pablo City, Laguna; Agoncillo, Batangas; and Lucena City and Pagbilao, Quezon attended the training for corn production on August 23-24, 2018 at St. Jude Cooperative Hotel in Tayabas City, Quezon.
According to Avelita M. Rosales, Regional Corn Program Coordinator of the Department of Agriculture Region IV CALABARZON, the training aims to refresh corn farmers and teach would-be corn farmers the basic knowledge on corn production.
As an introduction, Arlene V. Natanauan, Report Officer for Regional Corn Program, presented the Regional Corn Program’s thrusts and directions, and targets for 2018-2022. In her presentation the participants also learned the various interventions being provided by the said program such as the provision of farm machinery and postharvest equipment/facilities to qualified farmers’ groups to help increase their farm productivity.
Among the speakers are Jennifer Bascoguin from Provincial Agriculturist’s Office of Quezon who discussed the cultural management of corn; Agricultural Program Coordinating Officer for Quezon Rolando P. Quasay who explained the anatomy of corn plant and shared some of his experiences in planting the same; Sonny Buncha, Sectoral Committee Chair for Corn in the Region, who discussed the aspects of corn breeding and about farmers as entrepreneurs; Raffy Manalo of Regional Soils Laboratory explained the soil sampling analysis and its importance; and Cecille Marie C. Manzanilla, Chief of Regional Crop Protection Center, who discussed the management of pests and diseases of corn plant.
The next batch of participants will be trained on August 29-31, 2018 at the same venue.