TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Seventy fish farmers of barangays Bagumbayan and Dupag graduated from a season-long Farmers Field School (FFS) on January 31, 2024, that improved their procedures on tilapia production.
Twelve sessions were held by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)–Kalinga and the Office for City Agricultural Services (OfCAS) between October and December of 2023.
Aligned with BFAR’s program in support of fishery development, these sessions included activities such as validation or geotagging of fishponds, aquaculture training, Fish N’ Learn, stocking of fingerlings, construction of harvesting nets, harvest or sampling and dried tilapia making.
In her message during the graduation ceremonies, BFAR–Kalinga Designate Joyce Ducyogen said that through the FFS each participant is equipped with new technologies that will boost their livelihood as fish farmers.
“Namnamaen mi nga dakayu ti katulungan mi tapno ag-increase iti produksyon iti syudad ken iti probinsya tayu. Aramiden yu daytuyen nga panggedan. Sustenaren yu,” she expressed to the FFS graduates.
Acting City Mayor Dick Bal-o, in a separate message delivered by Oliver Mendoza, congratulated each farmer for completing the three-month long training. He hoped to continue supporting this program through the partnership between OfCAS and BFAR-Kalinga, so that more farmers could benefit from it.
Last year, OfCAS had conducted a series of trainings to 8 barangays in the city. According to OfCAS Senior Agriculturist Evelyn Orsit, these farmer beneficiaries of Bagumbayan and Dupag were among the second batch of recipients.
The aforementioned agencies capacitated participants from barangays Amlao, Balawag, Suyang, Malin-awa, New Tanglag, and Gobgob from June to October by conducting technology demos to boost fishery development. By Cyrus Van Kurt Solbita
