OFFICIALS from Minami Maki, Nagano, Japan recently paid a visit to the municipality of La Trinidad, Benguet to strengthen sisterhood ties through agriculture and advance technology introductions.
Mayor Romeo Salda said the Japanese officials led by Vice Mayor Toshio Ikemoto visited the town following an agreement made two years ago with the aim to promote culture, education, tourism and agricultural exchanges.
Salda added municipal agriculturist Fely Ticbaen and other officials visited Japan to observe their farming strategies.
"There is a lot to learn from each other especially on farming since both places are mountainous and climate is quite similar, and farming crops using advanced technology is a way of life," he said.
“We could learn how they grow their crops and how they protect their slopes from erosion. Japan is advanced in terms of disaster preparedness and mitigation,” the mayor added.
Meanwhile, Ikemoto thanked town officials for their partnership with the valley towards development.
Ikemoto said they are in town to monitor farmers who had trained in Japan under their agricultural programs to verify if the agricultural methods they learned are being applied and if it remains effective in the locality.