Department of Agriculture-Cordillera (DA-CAR) Regional Executive Director Atty. Jennilyn Dawayan has encouraged the Farmers Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs) in the region to adopt the farming techniques implemented by farmers in Japan.
Dir. Dawayan together with Mr. Efren Lorenzo from the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD) shared to the agency’s management committee members of their farm experience from their recent trip to Japan as participants in the learning exchange for the strategic program on digitalization and logistic early April this year.
They specifically identified the system of traceability of agricultural products in the downstream and upstream directions of the food chain that may be adopted by the farming communities.
“If the farmers would adopt this system of traceability, their agricultural products will be subject to regular submission of samples for laboratory testing, wherein once the agricultural products fail to pass the standards of testing, they will recall the product, and they will know where the product went and where it came from. We have to understand, however, that Japan has a national federation of cooperatives, with the provinces having their own cooperatives, which is only one as compared to many cooperatives in the case of our region,” Dir. Dawayan said.
Traceability refers to the ability to trace and follow a food, feed, food-producing animal, or substance intended to be, or expected to be incorporated into a food or feed, through all stages of production, processing, and distribution.
Through this method, farmers can pursue and investigate food, feed, animal products, and the substances intended for use or expected to be used for these products at all of stages of production, preparation, processing, distribution, and sale.
Once adopted, a series of mechanisms under the system of traceability will be performed by the FCAs and farmers that include identification, data preparation, data collection and storage, and data verification.
The system is composed of an organization and a system, documented procedures, a process, management resources (personnel, financial resources, machinery, equipment, software, technologies, and techniques), rules, and education and training. Food business operators engaged in the production, preparation, processing, distribution, and sale of food products, including producers, food industries, and food-related trade associations, will also benefit from the system of traceability.
DA-CAR AMAD Agribusiness Industry Support Section (AISS) Officer-In-Charge Efren Lorenzo also noted the importance of farmers’ participation in planning, with the farmer submitting a production plan to the cooperative who will manage a consolidation area, once they adopt and follow the traceability process.
Dir. Dawayan also observed the efficient use by Japanese farmers of their cold storage facilities from the farm to the market, which she foresees as a valuable undertaking for Cordillera farmers to also adopt
To date, seven (7) solar powered modular cold storage facilities amounting to P3.75 million each are being targeted by the DA to be established in the region, with the Taloy Farmers Multi Purpose Cooperative (TAFARMCO) and the Provincial Government of Benguet as the initial beneficiaries for this year, that was personally inspected by DA-Assistant Secretary for Logistics Daniel Atayde recently. By JTLlanes
