LA TRINIDAD farmers following Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) are among recipients of the newly distributed farm equipment from the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera Administrative Region.
A total of 26 individuals and a farmer’s organization received new tools and machinery from the national government agency last week.
Municipal agricultural officer Fely Ticbaen said the turnover of equipment will ensure the local farming community will continue and sustain their GAP practice in the next few years.
Seventeen rain shelters, 10 knapsack sprayers, 50 crates, three power sprayers, and two hand tractors were turned over to the beneficiaries.
The aid given by DA-CAR aims to support the production of high-value commercial crops produced within the first class municipality.
Accoding to Ticbaen, DA has prioritized the farmers and organization accredited by the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center and those who consign their produce to be delivered in the BAPTC.
The use of the new materials will be monitored by DA-CAR through the various organizations who are also members of the Municipal Agriculture and Fisheries Council with the help of Barangay Agriculture and Fisheries Council.
With GAP, farmers in the Valley are encouraged to trim down the use of synthetic fertilizer.
Reports reveal 50 percent of fertilizers are synthetic in nature while the other half used is organic which helps not only in building balance in the environment at the same time producing high value crops.
At present, there are only four farms in the Benguet who are accredited for GAP, two in Tublay and the others in Kibungan.
Meanwhile, La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda gave his support to local farmers who engage in GAP.
Salda said the GAP practice should be sustained and further expanded especially in the capital town in preparation for the full swing of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Economic Integration.
The chief executive added La Trinidad farmers should already adopt GAP to earn good attention and more assistance from the national government.
La Trinidad, which is the capital town of Benguet, is known for producing high-value produce including vegetables, cut flowers, coffee, and the ever famous strawberries.