TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Thirty-four corn farmers from the city successfully completed the farmers’ business school (FBS) on corn farming system of the Cordillera office of the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera (DA-CAR).
The season-long program, spanning from July to September, empowered participating farmers with a diverse range of skills in farming and entrepreneurship. These included seed selection, fertilizer management, corn pest control, effective harvesting and drying techniques, bookkeeping and financial management, and marketing strategies.
This program is a collaborative effort of the DA-CAR Corn Program headed by Gerardo Banawa, the city agriculture office, and the city and provincial governments.
The beneficiaries of this program are the members of the Masaway Farmers Association, which also belongs to one of the corn model farms in the province.
To celebrate their success, a graduation ceremony took place at Brgy. Cabaruan on October 12 during which the DA-CAR provided the association with a four-wheeler tractor, strengthening their capacity to excel in corn farming.
Meanwhile, Banawa shared the potential for partnering with feed companies to establish a processing facility in Kalinga. He emphasized that this initiative would be a game-changer for corn farmers by providing a direct market within the province, reducing their dependence on selling their produce in Cagayan Valley.
Agricultural Program Coordinating Officer for Kalinga Jr Balag-ey Claver, who also confirmed the graduates, encouraged the association to seek civil society organization accreditation and that there should be at least 90 percent in the association who are registered to the Registry System for Basic Sectors of Agriculture (RSBSA. By JBPeralta
