Agri NorMin together with the private seed companies stage a Cluster Hybrid Rice Derby and Farmers’ Field Day to showcase different hybrid rice varieties and technologies for farmers possible adoption.

VALENCIA CITY, BUKIDNON – The Department of Agriculture – Region 10 (DA-10) in partnership with the private seed companies conducted the cluster hybrid rice derby and farmers’ field day in Pinatilan, Valencia City, Bukidnon on Friday, March 4, 2022.

Hosted in 13.5 hectares of rice in the said barangay, it showcases the different hybrid rice varieties and technologies of SL Agritech, Corp., Seed Works, RAMGO International, Corp., LongPing, Leads Agri, Green and Grow, Inc., Davao Oriental Seed Producers Cooperative, Corteva Agriscience, Bioseed, Bayer, and Amtrac.

According to DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado, Bukidnon is one of the country’s top 15 provinces as hybrid rice seed users.

Director Collado further explained that the generated results of the activity will provide the local rice farmers with suitable and profitable rice varieties and technologies.

Aside from that, he reiterated that its results would be the agency’s basis for rice seed procurement, which can benefit around 5,855 rice farmers in the said city alone.

Wenie D. Doronila, a rice farmer from barangay Batangan shared that he was convinced with the performance of hybrid rice seeds, “Sa aking karanasan, mas mataas talaga ang ani ng hybrid rice. Bukod dun, mas resistant ito sa mga peste at sakit.”

Doronila started planting after the National Rice Techno Forum (NRTF) was conducted in their locality in 2020.

He also urged his fellow farmers to try using hybrid seeds to compare the difference in terms of yield and quality.

Moreover, DA-10 Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga also remarked, that use of appropriate hybrid seeds is one of the factors contributing to the increased productivity and profitability in rice production.

The activity was in coordination with Bukidnon Provincial Agriculture Office, Valencia City Agriculture Office, and farmer associations.# (EMB)

Farmers attend a Corn Derby and Field Day in DA’s research stations in Malaybalay City and Dangcagan, Bukidnon to witness the performance of different hybrid corn varieties produced by private seed companies.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – To help farmers attain optimum yield and higher income through the production of hybrid yellow corn, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) in partnership with seven seed companies and local government units conducted a two-day corn derby and field day on different sites in Bukidnon.

Hybrid corn varieties were showcased in DA-10’s two research centers, the Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Complex (NMACLRC) in Dalwangan, Malaybalay City with an altitude of 800 meters above sea level, and Research Center for Upland Development (RCUD) in Barongcot, Dangcagan, Bukidnon (600 meters above sea level), on March 3-4, 2022, respectively.

Featured varieties include DK 8899S, DK 8719S, and DK 8131S (Bayer Crop Science); P4124YHR and P3660YHR (Corteva-Pioneer); NK306BGT (Syngenta); J505 RRYG (Asian Hybrid Seed Tech, Inc.); Biocom High Fly, H101G and BC108 (Bioseed); EVO709 and EVO9989 (Evogene); and X5 (Green and Grow Tech Company).

“Our aim is to assess the productivity and profitability of these different hybrid corn varieties and component technologies appropriate for specific locations,” bared RFO 10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado.

He added that the best performing corn seed varieties will be the department’s basis in the procurement of corn seeds which will be distributed to the farmer-beneficiaries.

Evangeline S. Mayantao, a farmer of Malaybalay City shared, “Itong derby ay malaking tulong sa aming mga magsasaka sa pagbibigay sa amin ng dagdag kaalaman at impormasyon kung anong klase ng mais ang merong taas na ani at sa mga teknolohiya na ikakaunlad ng aming sakahan.”

Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga recognized the sustained effort of the seed companies in developing high yielding corn varieties appropriate in different agro-climatic conditions.

She added that DA’s strengthened partnership with the seed companies and other stakeholders in promoting these varieties and its component technologies is vital in attaining farmer’s productivity and profitability.

Among the provinces in the region, Bukidnon has the largest corn production in the region with more than 100 hectares.

The third leg of corn derby and field day is set on March 10 at the Research Center for Hillyland Development (RCHD) in Lanise, Claveria, Misamis Oriental.

The activity was supported by the PLGU Bukidnon through its Provincial Agriculture Office, respective Municipal Agriculture Offices, DA-10’s Research Division and Provincial Operations Center for Bukidnon and farmer associations. #(RDMElloren)

The AFC in Region 10 presents its findings of their monitored projects under DA.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, March 2, 2022 – The Agriculture and Fishery Council (AFC) in Northern Mindanao presented its findings of the DA monitored projects in Region 10 to the management of the Department of Agriculture-10 during an exit conference on Wednesday, March 2, 2022.

Region 10 Regional Agriculture and Fishery Council (RAFC) Chair, Engr. Reynaldo M. Cabanao commented its findings and recommendations of the various implemented projects covering some delivered and completed agricultural projects to the farmers since 2017.

Their findings include the utilization and operation of the small-water irrigation systems, machineries, and equipment; survival rate of the livestock and poultry animals and planting materials; and the efficiency of the farm inputs, among others.

As presented by the provincial and municipal AFCs, the farm-to-market roads (FMRs) have been beneficial to the farmers and other stakeholders, especially in transporting their produce; and lessens their post-harvest losses.

However, some projects also cited needs assessment, replacement, repair, and adjustment for further utilization according to the provincial and municipal AFCs.

DA-10 Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga emphasized, that said undertaking is annually conducted by the AFCs.

Their inputs are crucial in ensuring full utilization of DA’s projects and services intended for the farmers and fisherfolk across the region.

“The AFCs willingly work with DA in monitoring our in each local government units to come up with efficient recommendations and longstanding solutions for the said completed projects.

With this, we can assure that DA has acted its mandate in increasing the farmer’s and fisherfolks income through the provision of useful and functional agri interventions,” RTD Madriaga remarked.

The output of the activity will be finalized this week for verification by the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF).

DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado reiterated that under the Guidelines on the AFC Monitoring and Tracking Activities Executive Order No. 116, PCAF is mandated in serving DA as an advisory body to ensure the success of its programs and projects; and to establish a private sector-led nationwide network of AFCs and sectoral committees.

RAFC Regional Executive Officer Cora A. Dumayaca shared that the council provides inputs in the formulation and implementation of agri-fishery policies, programs, and projects.

The exit conference was participated by DA-10 division heads, provincial operations center chiefs, and the banner program coordinators. # (EMBentulan)

DA-10 pours agri assistance amounting to P65.6-M to 22 LGUs of Bukidnon province.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Twenty-two local government units in the province of Bukidnon received various agri interventions amounting to P65.6 million from the Department of Agriculture in Northern Mindanao on Thursday, March 3, 2022, in Dalwangan, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.

DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado with Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga led the distribution of agri machinery and equipment, livestock and poultry animals, agri inputs (fertilizers, feeds, corn, vegetable, and seeds), and hauling trucks that will benefit the farmers in the said province.

In his message, Director Collado reminded the farmer-beneficiaries to protect and supervise the agri machinery and equipment to maximize its operation and utilization, benefiting more farmers in their locality.

He also commended the 4th Infantry Division, Philippine Army for the support provided to the department and its partnership in the implementation of the whole-of-nation approach of Executive Order No.70 which formed the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

Joannah P. Dumaguita of the MILALITTRA Farmer Agricultural Cooperative shared that DA’s assistance will help them preserve and maintain the quality of their coffee beans.

“We are grateful to DA for providing us the opportunity to boost and compete with consolidators that will allow us to have a voice in the market,” Dumaguita added.

Said farmer cooperative of Miarayon, Talakag, Bukidnon, is a beneficiary of the 1 unit hauling truck and coffee roasting machine under the HVCDP’s postharvest support services for coffee farmers.

RTD Madriaga also conveyed to the farmers to encourage those who are not yet enlisted in the DA’s Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) for them to avail the services of the agency.

The interventions were funded by the agency’s CY 2021 funds under its banner and special programs: Corn, Rice, High Value Crops Development, Organic Agriculture, Livestock, Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD), and Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng Kababayang Katutubo (4Ks).#(ATC/Photos by EMB,MPT,JCA)

OneDA signs a MOA with CMU and LGU Maramag for the P56-M RPS in said town.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Department of Agriculture – Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) and the DA-National Food Authority (NFA) in partnership with DA-Regional Field Office 10, signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the LGU of Maramag, Bukidnon, and the Central Mindanao University (CMU) on February 22, 2022, to mark the construction of a P56 million Rice Processing System 2 (RPS 2) in said town.

DA-PhilMech Director Baldwin G. Jallorina, Ph.D signed the MOA with DA-NFA-10 Regional Director Engr. John Robert Hermano, DA-RFO 10 Regional Executive Director, Carlene C. Collado, CMU President, Jesus Antonio G. Derije, Ph.D, DVM and Maramag Municipal Mayor, Atty. Jose Joel P. Doromal.

The said OneDA converged project is funded under the mechanization component of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), as provided under RA 11203 or the Rice Tarrification Law (RTL).

Being the funding agency, PhilMech appropriated the funds required for the RPS2 implementation, while the NFA provided the site needed for the project.

The LGU and CMU on the other hand shall jointly operate the RPS 2, with the technical assistance of the latter. Once completed the Rice Processing System will feature 1 unit of Multi-Stage Rice Mill and two units of Recirculating Dryer.

Director Collado said the facility is instrumental in improving the local rice farmers’ efficiency in terms of post-production and distribution system, reducing post-harvest losses, and maximizing the utilization of rice by-products.

“We thank PhilMech and NFA for the materialization of this project. We are hoping that more areas in Northern Mindanao will be provided with the RPS 2 in the future so we can further boost the region’s rice industry” he said.

He underscored this OneDA undertaking is material to the DA-10’s ultimate goal of attaining food security in the region. Construction and installation work for the RPS 2 shall commence this year and are expected to be fully operational before the end of 2023.#(ATalib)

DA-10 and other concerned stakeholders meet to address prices of pork and livestock products.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The agriculture department of Northern Mindanao (DA-10) facilitated the conduct of the Bantay Presyo Taskforce meeting with various stakeholders and its concerned attached agencies, to help address the increasing prices of pork and livestock products in major public markets in the city.

According to the DA-10 Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD) chief, Larry E. Paraluman, the reduced supply of hogs due to the outbreak of the African Swine Fever (ASF) in some parts of the region, was contributory to the increased prices of said commodities in the local market.

“As part of the technical working group and as consumers alike, we should come up with a solution that would intensify our collective efforts in regulating and stabilizing food prices, particularly on pork products,” he added.

Reportedly, as of February 24, 2022, the prevailing prices of live hogs per kilogram in Misamis Oriental for commercial farms is at P202.00 while P170.00 for backyard farms.

As agreed, the team will conduct a follow-up meeting tentatively in mid-March to tackle recommendations from the different parties where DA will present the solutions to address the said concern.

Also present in the meeting were Cagayan de Oro City Local Price Coordinator Council chair, Atty. Jose Edgardo Uy with 1st district Councilor George S. Goking, Cogon Market Vendors Association, and other concerned agencies. # (RDMElloren)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Cluster 8 of Audit Team No. R10-34 of the Commission on Audit – Region 10 (COA-10), and the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) meet for a two-day CY 2021 Audit Exit Conference in February 28 – March 1, 2022, in this city.

As is prescribed under COA Memorandum Order No. 2014-011, the conduct of an audit exit conference is a must before the finalization and transmittal of COA’s year-end audit report on the performance and operations of the concerned government agency.

In said gathering, the COA findings and recommendations and the DA-RFO 10 comments on the undertaken Financial and Compliance Audit for CY 2021 were tackled for formalization.

DA-RFO 10 Regional Executive Director, Carlene C. Collado, together with Regional Technical Director for Research and Regulations, Carmelita T. Bajarla, and Regional Technical Director for Operations, Carlota S. Madriaga led the DA-RFO 10 management in the said audit conference.

The Division Chiefs, Assistant Division Chiefs, and Section Chiefs of the different DA-RFO 10 Divisions also attended the activity, along with the Provincial Operations Center Chief, and the Focal Persons of the various programs of the agency.

Ms. Josie J. Rodriquez, COA-10 Regional Supervising Auditor, and Ms. Nashiba Macaraob, Acting Audit Team Leader and staff of the R10-34 Audit Team presented the audit observations and findings to DA-RFO 10 management for discussion.

The audit conference is an avenue for both government instrumentalities to come to terms in matters concerning the improvement of the DA-RFO 10 operations, in consonance with appertaining government laws, rules, and regulations.#(Azbie Talib)

DA-SAAD 10 musters the LGUs across the region to craft said Program’s priority projects in prospect assisted LGUs for the next six years starting 2023.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – As groundwork for the proposed Phase 2 implementation of the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program of the Department of Agriculture, SAAD Region 10 convened 29 LGUs in the region for the program’s Extension and Expansion Planning Workshop.

The workshop is a blended activity attended onsite and online by the Provincial Agriculturists, Provincial Veterinarians, Municipal and City Agriculturists, and staff from the Municipal and City Agriculture Offices of the different LGUs from the provinces of Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, and Camiguin from February 21-23, 2022.

Primarily, the three-day planning workshop was aimed at programming and streamlining SAAD priority projects in prospect assisted LGUs in the region, for the next six years starting 2023.

Ms. Lana May Racines, SAAD Region 10 Focal Person discussed the criteria for the selection of SAAD-implementing LGUs and beneficiary Farmers Associations (FAs), SAAD Program components, and priority livelihood projects in the said gathering.

Fifth and six class municipalities and those with the highest poverty incidence rate in Northern Mindanao are preferred for inclusion in the SAAD Region 10 phase 2 implementation.

Registered FAs with members duly enrolled to the DA’s Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), shall be eligible for the SAAD assistance.

With the anticipated extension and expansion, the SAAD Program ultimately intends to assist beneficiary FAs in the region to establish community-based enterprise by producing suited agricultural products in their area.

The program shall provide production-to-marketing support in capacitating the FAs.

As a strategy, the FAs will be encouraged to practice farm consolidation schemes in implementing SAAD agri-enterprise projects.

In his message, DA-Region 10 Regional Executive Director, Carlene C. Collado urged the LGUs to implement applicable and doable SAAD projects in their towns.

“We are counting on the full cooperation of the LGUs and the local agriculture offices to carry out SAAD projects in your localities. We must strive to sustain those projects to improve the farmers’ livelihood and ease the poverty situation in your towns” he said.

Director Collado also shared the OneDA Programs and Projects being implemented, and to be implemented by the DA-attached agencies and bureaus in Northern Mindanao for possible participation of the SAAD-assisted LGUs.

For its phase 2 implementation, SAAD will be implementing strictly need-based projects, hence the LGUs’ inputs and FAs’ participation in programming SAAD projects in the region.

DA-Region 10 Technical Director for Operations, Carlota S. Madriaga said, the SAAD program has been instrumental, one way or another, in addressing the poverty situation in the region, in its phase 1 implementation.

Gearing for SAAD extension and expansion, she enjoined the LGUs to implement the most-needed projects by underprivileged farmers in their localities.

DA-Region 10 Field Operations Division’s Chief, Mr. Audy Maagad also attended the workshop along with SAAD Region 10 Regional and Provincial Project Management Support Offices’ staff, and DA-RFO 10 Provincial Operations Center Chiefs and staff.#(ATalib)

Agri dept in R-10 strengthens its support to EO 70 thru the distribution of free-range chicken in different MisOcc municipalities.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) has distributed a total of 880 heads of chicken in selected towns of Misamis Occidental starting February 15-22, this year.

The ready-to-breed and lay free-range chickens distributed are produced by DA-10’s Research Center for Upland Development (RCUD), with a total worth of P880K.

Don Victoriano town received 330 heads of chicken; the municipalities of Aloran, Clarin, and Tangub received 110 heads each, while Concepcion, Sinacaban, Jimenez, and Tudela received 55 heads each.

Each beneficiary was given a module, comprising of 1 male and 10 female.

DA-RFO 10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado said that the intervention is in support to Executive Order No. 70 or the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC), which aims to put an end to insurgencies in the remote and conflict-afflicted areas of the region.

DA-RFO 10 Livestock Coordinator Maria Lourdes M. Sypiecco added, that the Livestock Program together with other banner programs of the department continuously supports the government’s initiatives in providing livelihood programs employing the ‘whole-of-nation approach’ under the NTF-ELCAC.

“These interventions will provide initial inputs to our RTF-ELCAC recipients as a start-up for them to establish sustainable livelihood,” Sypiecco said. # (EMB/Photo Supplied: LP)

Agri NorMin preps for the hog sentinel program by doing environmental swabbing in some ASF-stricken parts of the region.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Department of Agriculture in Northern Mindanao has conducted environmental swabbing in some African Swine Fever (ASF)-affected areas in the region in preparation for the recovery and rehabilitation program.

A total of 39 barangays in the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro were subjected to environmental swabbing starting February 2022 as part of the process of the hog sentinel program.

DA-10 ASF Focal Person Julesben Caesar Maquiling, DVM explained, environmental swabbing is the process of collecting samples from the pig pens and surrounding areas of previously ASF-affected backyard raisers.

Said samples were then submitted to the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RADDL) of DA-10 subject for laboratory analysis to determine whether it is safe to put sentinel pigs.

Dr. Maquiling added that prior to the 20 days of environmental swabbing, one-month cleaning and disinfection were conducted to ensure that the place is clean and safe where the hogs will be placed.

DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado said that local government units (LGUs) can declare their respective areas as ASF-free after validation by the provincial veterinary office and/or DA-RFO 10, as stipulated in the DA Admin Order No. 30, series of 2021, “Guideline on the Recovery and Declaration of Freedom from ASF for Local Government Units” signed by DA Secretary William D. Dar.

Dir. Collado added that declaration of ASF-free zoning can be upgraded from red to pink or infected to buffer zone following the DA AO 30 guidelines, and eventually lifts zoning status from pink to yellow after the sentinelling program.

He stressed that the rehabilitation program’s purpose is to increase pig production and subsequently stabilize pork supplies and prices.

For this, Dir. Collado urged all hog raisers to strictly follow biosecurity protocol in the farm to make the repopulation program successful.#(MPMTablon)