IN A bid to strengthen and recognize the mushroom growers' efforts for their notable contribution to the industry, the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Western Visayas recently recognized mushroom growers with the best practices on sustainable mushroom farming in the region.
DA-Researcher and Commodity Project in-charge Richard Geganzo said in a statement that recognizing their performance will help motivate and encourage more farmers to engage into mushroom farming.
More farmers would be able to recognize that mushroom is one of the healthy sources of food, he added.
Six organized groups, namely, Samasama Mushroom Farm, Aust-Phil Mushroom Farm and Ebang'Z Mushroom Farm in Capiz; Mushmakulay Farm, and GL Organic Mushroom Farm in Negros Occidental; and Obido Mushroom Farm in Aklan, showcased excellent methods and applications for sustainable mushroom farming through video presentations.
Of them, GL Organic Mushroom Farm, owned by Jan Andrei Gerardino in Negros Occidental, emerged with the most innovative management and processing practices.
It was followed by Mushmakulay Mushroom Farm, also in Negros Occidental and owned by Syro and Josie Joy Jimenez, as the second placer.
GL Organic Mushroom Farm got the 20-kilo capacity Dehydrator worth P160,000 as the grand prize with other mushroom production inputs.
The Mushmakulay Farm, meanwhile, received the one-kilo capacity Dehydrator worth P30,000 processing equipment plus mushroom inputs.
Consolation prize winners also received mushroom production inputs including one tub of sorghum, 25 kilos of crack corn, one sack of lime, and five PVC one-inch pipes for mushroom production.
The pool of judges included DA-Research Division Chief Corazon Arroyo, DA-WV Agriculture and Research Consortium chief Virginia Agreda, Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (Amad) Senior Agriculturist Clark Melendres, and Senior Research Specialist John Amorsolo.
Meanwhile, newly-organized mushroom federation officers took an oath to ensure their commitment to the union's duties, responsibilities, and obligations to spur the mushroom industry in the region.
As part of the "One DA Reform Agenda" key strategies to establish linkages among farmers and key players to earn a steady market for their products, DA-Western Visayas Technical Director Peter Sobrevega emphasized the importance of organizing farmer's groups to sustain productivity and achieve a profitable mushroom enterprise.
Sobrevega also encouraged the officers to fulfill their responsibilities at their best capability to advance the region's mushroom industry.
"Your organization's success relies on the fulfillment of duties that each officer needs to share," he said, adding that "it is also natural that it will take a lot of self-sacrifices to attain your organization's goals."
The elected officers of the Mushroom Federation of Western Visayas (MFWV) are NievaDela Torre, president; Archie Dela Cruz, vice president; Jerry Ituriaga, secretary; Maria Elsie Dujon, Assistant secretary; Lino Layno, treasurer; Boone Muyco, assistant treasurer; Carmelo Solivas, auditor; and Josie Joy Jimenez and Marvin Mabaquiao, business managers.
The provincial representatives are Salvacion Antaran for Aklan, Cherry Tamayo for Antique, Joyce Jimenez for Negros Occidental, Ramy Dela Torre for Capiz, Edmon Mella for Guimaras and Shirley Pelaez for Iloilo.
At present, the federation comprises 21 members from the six organized associations in the different provinces in the region. (With PR)