FARMERS in the region can now look forward to a more responsive and relevant researches.
This came after the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Davao Region recently launched four research and development (R&D) facilities in its research stations across the region.
These R&D facilities are: Davao Commercial Agricultural research Station (DaCARS) – Tissue Culture Laboratory; Davao Region Central Experiment Station (DaRCES) – Mushroom Production Facility and Technology Commercialization Center in Southern Mindanao; and Davao Region Upland Agricultural Research Station (DaRUARS) – Plant Genetic Resource Center in Davao City.
"With funding assistance from the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) and counterparts from DA 11, these facilities are expected to develop more appropriate technologies to boost farm productivity. It will also help in promoting local products developed out the technologies generated by our research stations," said DA-Davao Region director, Engr. Ricardo Oñate Jr. said.
"It's about time that we have to utilize our research centers to address problems confronting the agri sector particularly on climate change," Oñate added.
He also challenged the researchers to address key issues for society as sustainability of production, adaptation to and mitigation of climate change.
"With the establishment of these research facilities, we need your [researchers] cooperation for us to uplift the lives of our main client, our farmers," he said.
Dr. Angelina Pancho, regional technical director for research, said the beneficiaries of the said facilities were researchers, scientists, students, extension workers, farmers, walk-in clients, Indigenous People's (IPs), industry agri partners and stakeholders.
The Tissue Culture Laboratory will soon rise in DaCARS Mati City, Davao Oriental. Amounting to P7.06 million, it is jointly funded by DA and DA-BAR, the establishment aims to produce quality planting materials through tissue culture in Davao Oriental and provide equipment intended for tissue culture production that will benefit farmers and other stakeholders.
It would also enhance capability of the communities by providing them with quality planting materials as well as promote and establish state of the art tissue culture laboratory.
Two R&D facilities -- Technology Commercialization Center (TCC) in Southern Mindanao and Mushroom Production Laboratory -- will be constructed in DaRCES Manambulan, Davao City which amounts to P2.5 million and P2.4 million respectively.
The TCC which will serve as a display center of all products generated form R&D and will showcase farmer's products developed thru research-based technologies. The Mushroom Lab will be used to study mushroom characteristics and at the same time perform inoculations. It also caters to the growing interest on mushroom cultivation in the region.
A Plant Genetic Resource (PGR) Center, amounting to P6 million, will also be constructed in DaRUARS, East Marahan Marilog District, Davao City. It will serve for characterization, evaluation regeneration and multiplication, conservation and utilization of agricultural crops in Southern Mindanao.
It will also provide farmers and plant breeders with options to develop, through selection and breeding, new and more productive crops, that are resistant to virulent pests and disease and adapted to changing environment.
In his message during the series of groundbreaking, Director Nicomedes Eleazar of DA-BAR represented by Digna Sandoval, head of its Institutional Development Division, he said that R&D is important in securing the country's food needs and in dealing with the effects of climate change.
"We will continue to support DA-RFO XI for its thrusts in developing the R&D centers in their stations. We hope that it will be utilized to further address the needs of the farmers," he adds. (PR)