The Department of Agriculture (DA) expects improved production of vegetables and rubber with recent partnerships.
DA said the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) and the Korea Partnership for Innovation of Agriculture Philippines Center (KOPIA) formally opened its pilot village project on protective cultivation and post-harvest management of vegetables in Siniloan, Laguna last Tuesday.
The agency said the infrastructure development is a component of the pilot village project funded by KOPIA and implemented by the DA-BPI Los Baños National Crop Research, Development and Production Support Center aimed at improving the technical proficiencies of extension workers and farmers in partner communities.
The project will increase the volume of vegetable production by 200 percent in the pilot communities and increase the income of participating farmers by 20 percent.
DA said the project will benefit at least 100 farmers in Siniloan who will provided greenhouses with drip irrigation systems, postharvest technologies, farm cultivators and good agricultural practices.
DA said the program will also be implemented in Lucban, Quezon and Zaragosa, Nueva Ecija to help raise the production and income levels of local farmers.
A project proposal for funding by the South Korean government to scale up the project to 10 pilot villages in the areas covered by the five national centers of the DA-BPI is also underway.
KOPIA is an official development assistance program of the Rural Development Administration which is South Korea’s largest agricultural research and development organization.
Meanwhile, representatives from Head Sport Philippines and the Philippine Rubber Research Institute met DA senior undersecretary Domingo Panganiban on Monday to discuss ways to improve the local rubber industry and help farmers boost their income.
Head Sport Philippines proposed the installation of a modern rubber processing plant that will source raw rubber from local farmers and improve the quality of local produce.
Head said it is set to relocate and expand its tennis ball production hub by moving operations from China to Panabo City, Davao del Norte by the second quarter of next year.
