NorMin gears up for reg’l. Organic Agriculture Center creation

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10), through its Organic Agriculture (OA) Program, conducted a three-day workshop from May 25 to 27 in preparation for the establishment of a Regional Organic Agriculture Center, here.

The center, which aims to strengthen the development, promotion, and institutional support for OA in the region, is envisioned as a comprehensive hub for research, production support, extension services, certification, value-addition, marketing assistance, agri-development, and capacity-building. This facility is expected to further advance organic agriculture in Northern Mindanao.

National OA Program Director Bernadette F. San Juan, the workshop’s resource person, said that the activity was designed to generate evidence-based inputs for the establishment and operationalization of the regional OA center through a participatory planning process involving key stakeholders.

The workshop included a discussion about the OA industry profile, identification of priority commodities, and formulation of interventions to address challenges faced by the organic agriculture practitioners in the region. The participants were also asked to assess the current state of the region’s organic agriculture industry, identify gaps and opportunities, and formulate a five-year action plan for the sector.

Meanwhile, DA-10 Regional Executive Director Jose Apollo Y. Pacamalan underscored the importance of setting a clear direction for the region’s organic agriculture sector, emphasizing that a shared vision will guide future initiatives and ensure the effective implementation of the programs and projects.

The workshop brought together representatives from the local government units, farmers’ cooperatives, associations (FCAs), Regional Agricultural and Fishery Council – 10, and research stations and OA program personnel of DA-10.# (CRS)