BAGUIO CITY – The Department of AgricultureโBureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) is transitioning to decentralize funds to focus on the poorest areas in the country with low agricultural productivity.ย
This was highlighted during the visit of the DA-BAR OIC-Director Joell H. Lales during the Research Division Planning held at the Supreme Hotel, Magsaysay Avenue, Baguio City on December 12, 2022.ย
Lales shared that the research and programs of DA-BAR for 2024 will be directed towards addressing the problems of the poorest municipalities in the country, especially those belonging to the fourth to sixth-income class municipalities. He also stressed that they will give priority to smaller State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) for 2024 projects.ย ย
โThe technologies are not designed for display. It should find its way down to the farmers. These technologies should be localized and adopted based on the needs of the farmers. In this way, the community industries with marketable commodities will be strengthened,โ he added.
Moreover, Atty. Jennilyn Dawayan, RTD for Research and Regulations, emphasized the top five commodities, namely, heirloom rice, strawberry, dairy and cattle, coffee, and potato. The DA-BAR suggested that from these top commodities, one commodity should be chosen for a project to properly establish products within the locality and consequently be brought outside of the province.ย
โThere will be a convergence between the DA, local government units, state universities and colleges (SUCs), and farmers cooperatives and associations (FCAs) in order to capacitate smaller farmers,โ ended Thea Hernandez of DA-BAR.
The aforementioned planning activity was also joined by Dr. Violeta Salda and Dr. Lesley Dale Umayat of Benguet State University, one of the partner SUCs of the DA.
After the activity, Lales and his staff visited the Bayanihan projects at the Baguio Animal Breeding and Research Center (BABRC), Dontogan, Baguio City.ย By Casserene Fernandez
