DA-10’s observance of HVC week features wine processing.

 

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Forming part of its observance, the Department of Agriculture – Northern Mindanao (DA-10) through OIC-Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado tackled and demonstrated Sweet Potato Wine Processing, before agency personnel and via an online platform during the High Value Crops (HVC) Week celebration here.

Bearing the theme, “Green Revolution: Road Towards Exportation”, Dafni C. Carreon, science research specialist of the Research Division, shared her expertise on winemaking and the importance of engaging into such value-adding activity, with emphasis on advocating good agricultural practices to attain export-grade agricultural-based products.

According to Carreon, processing crops and fruits into wine will help preserve farmers’ products and nutrients for a longer time, at the same time augment farmers’ income; thereby, encouraging them to plant more.

Carreon added that currently, DA-10 thru its research stations are developing wines, ranging from sweet potato, rice, Adlai, roselle, cacao, rambutan, mangosteen, chayote, and yacon.

Set on having more people using locally grown crops and fruits into wine, she furthered that the agri department welcomes any requests for capacity enhancement for those interested into wine production.

Ensuing the lecture and demonstration, a wine identification contest was also conducted, participated by DA-10’s different divisions with the Operations and Research divisions emerging as the winners.

The HVC week is celebrated every April to mark the enactment of Republic Act 7900, otherwise known as HVC Development Act of 1995, which targets to promote the production, processing, marketing, and consumption of high value crops.# (JLO)