AT LEAST 247 farmers have received assorted eight-in-one pack vegetable seeds and Biological control agents from the Department of Agriculture (DA), through its Adaptation and Mitigation Initiatives in Agriculture (AMIA) and Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) programs.

The recipients of the farm inputs are farmers in the AMIA villages in Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte, and Titay and Imelda municipalities in Zamboanga Sibugay.

The farm inputs were distributed last week during the conduct of the technology service caravan in the AMIA villages in support to the development of farming enterprises.

"We have a total of 247 local farmers participated in this series of activities. This activity would better prepare them in their respective communities from the impacts of climate change," AMIA focal person Reynaldo Campomanes said.

Among the resource speakers during the technology service caravan were from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), DA-Regional Soils Laboratory (RSL), and DA-Regional Crop Protection Center (RCPC).

Rock Diamante, PCIC Sales and Marketing Division chief, presented the PCIC services and discussed the importance of crops and livestock insurance.

Christopher Ian Bahinting, DA-RSL staff, presented the lecture on soil sampling and testing, as well as the significance of balanced fertilization strategy.

Sheila Yamba and Julius Cabantug from the DA-RCPC discussed the importance of using biological control agents such as Beauveria bassiana, Metarrhizium anisopliea, Euborelia annulata, Trichogramma japonicom and Trichogramma evanescens, in farm crops production. (SunStar Zamboanga)