Agri-10, FICCO hold the first ever harvest festival for potato tubers in Miarayon, Talakag, Bukidnon.

 

TALAKAG, BUKIDNON – Aiming to provide more farming opportunities to local farmers, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10) headed by Regional Executive Director Jose Apollo Y. Pacamalan, together with the First Community Cooperative (FICCO) Community Outreach Foundation, Inc. (FCOF), conducted the first potato tubers harvest festival on September 18, in Barangay Miarayon, here.

These planting materials were developed through tissue culture technology, led by researchers from the DA-10 Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Complex (NMACLRC).

On January 11, 420 Potato Plantlets from the tissue culture laboratory of FCOF were transferred to the greenhouse constructed in the locality to acclimate micro-plants and to be raised for further seed tuber production.

Following the project timeline which began in November 2021, this harvest marks the first in its ongoing phase and is referred to as Generation Zero.

Approximately 228k mini tubers were produced and 30 farmer-beneficiaries from the Miarayon- Lapok-Lirongan-Tinaytayan- Talaandig Tribal Association (MILALITTRA) will be given 1K seeds per potato farmer.

Eleazer A. Jumalon, DA-10 NMACLRC Science Research Assistant, said that the planting materials are classified as Granola Potatoes, favored by farmers due to their high yield, demand in the market, and suitability to the growing conditions in Northern Mindanao.

“It can yield between 21 to 25 tons per hectare, provided that the planting materials are clean and the area is well-maintained by the farmer. This is significantly higher compared to other varieties, which yield only around 18 to 19 metric tons per hectare,” Jumalon added.

To support the sustainability of the project, the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) of DA-10, through NMACLRC, handed over 100 crates and 50 pallets to be used by FCOF for harvesting, storing, and transporting the planting materials.

Also present were NMACLRC personnel headed by its chief, Carmelito R. Lapoot, FCOF Chairman of the Board of Trustees Ernie A. Obsina, FICCO Board Director Daina Empeynado, and select staff from FCOF and FICCO.

Following the distribution of Generation Zero to MILALITTRA, DA-10 and FCOF plan to extend their services in the coming year, allowing other clients to avail of these planting materials.# (EJLG)