BAGUIO CITY – Organic practitioners from fourteen barangays in the city will be displaying and selling their produce to the public during the 11-day agri-tourism fair at the Igorot Garden on May 21-31 May 2018.
Councilor Leandro B. Yangot, Jr., chairman of the City Council Committee on Market, Trade, Commerce and Agriculture, said that the number of participating barangays this year significantly increased compared to the only 8 participating barangays last year, an indication that organic practitioners in the city are now aggressive in producing organic crops to address the increasing demand for such products.
“We are elated over the overwhelming support that the second edition of the agri-tourism fair is getting from organic practitioners and barangay officials showing we are gaining ground in our efforts to advance the production of organic crops, especially in the city’s agriculture areas, or even in the urban areas because of the presence of urban gardens in the households,” Yangot stressed.
Earlier, the local government institutionalized the celebration of Urban Farmers month every May with one of the major activities being the agri-tourism fair at the Igorot Garden as a mean to aggressively promote the organic products of organic agriculture practitioners in the city’s agriculture barangays.
Yangot disclosed among the activities during the agri-tourism fair, aside from the display and sale of organically produced crops, are lectures on organic farming, sale of planting materials and seedlings, and seminars on the production of organic crops for interested residents and visitors.
According to him, the booths that will be set up for the agri-tourism fair will be made of indigenous materials from the participating barangays in the annual activity which is aimed at promoting organic agriculture and the consumption of organic crops in the city.
Among the barangays that have participating organic practitioners include Sto. Tomas School Area, Bakakeng Norte/Sur, Camp 7, Loakan proper, Loakan Liwanag, Happy Hallow, Country Club Village, Lucnab, South Sanitary Camp, Ambiong, Irisan, Lower Dagsian and Pinget.
The annual agri-tourism fair is spearheaded by the local government and supported by the Cordillera offices of the Department of Agriculture (DA-CAR) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-CAR) and the City Veterinary Office agriculture division.
Winners of the best urban gardening and edible farm contest will be announced by the judging committee during the Farmers Summit on June 1, 2018, the culminating activity of the celebration of the Urban Farmers month in the city.
Yangot urged the public to patronize the products of participating organic practitioners in the said agri-tourism fair to help the practitioners advance their practice of organic farming in the city.
By Dexter A. See
