Monday, July 10, 2006
Mindanao upland farmers learn in Sarangani
MAASIM, Sarangani -- More than 200 farmers from six provinces in Mindanao converged in Sitio Tahakayo, Barangay Amsipit, Maasim on July 6 for their annual "Tabu sa Uma," a farm-learning event.
The farmers, trained by the Upland Development Program (UDP), conducted the field day at the Farmers Learning Site in Tahakayo, a former bandit and rebel lair.
Farmers from Davao Del Norte, Davao Del Sur, Davao Oriental, South Cotabato, Compostela Valley and Sarangani inspected and evaluated the learning site owned by Florencio Benitez.
"In this learning site, we could find the convergence of technology particularly on land management and diversified training system," said Dashiel Indelible, co-project manager of UDP.
Indelible said such learning sites are run by the farmer's training group of the barangay covered by UDP.
Arman Mira, a 39-year-old farmer from San Isidro, Davao Del Norte said his use of upland technology in his farm was more thorough than what he has seen in Tahakayo.
Mira, however, conceded that he learned a few things from the learning site.
"This is the essence of the learning sites. Farmers from UDP covered areas will be able to compare, learn, and impart technology and techniques with each other. And they do this personally," Indelible said.
The Upland Development Program, a project of the European Union in the country, engages in training farmers to use technologies that are apt and sustainable in upland farming.
Sitio Tahakayo is the site of the From Arms to Farms program of Governor Miguel Dominguez and Maasim mayor Aniceto Lopez, Jr.
It now hosts Dole Philippines, which started its operations in the area with close to a thousand hectares of land planted to pineapple. Dole plans to expand its operation in Maasim to 3,000 hectares in the near term. (Sarangani Information Office)
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(July 10, 2006 issue)
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