ACDI/VOCA helps farmers in Mindanao through CoCoPal project

The ACDI/VOCA Cocoa, Coconut, and Palayamanan (CoCoPal) project formally started its Training of Trainers last September 5, 2010 at Malagos Garden Resort, Calinan, Davao City with participants coming from Western and Southern Mindanao.

According to Nic Richards, the ACDI VOCA CoCoPal project Chief of Party, the project aims to establish Village Technology Extension Farms (VTEF); provide farmer training and extension; improve post-harvest practices and infrastructure; improve sourcing of planting material; develop organic, farm based fertilizer and pesticide products and suppliers; and establish agro-enterprise clusters with funding support from USDA.

The training is designed to prepare the CoCoPal Extension Facilitators (CEF) in establishing the VTEF which is the CoCoPal main extension strategy. The CEF will are front line development facilitators that are expected to help 25,000 farmers in Mindanao. The training module includes extension and facilitation with emphasis in the importance of the whole farm planning approach and technical inputs in cocoa, coconut and rice.

For further information please visit www.acdivoca.org

Farmers to join Kadayawan 2010

More flowers,fruits, and livestock farmers joins Davao City in its celebration of Kadayawan 2010 (K10).

You will be able to see various agricultural inputs and products on the agri-trade fair. The annual display for sale of agriculture products and by-products will open on 13th August and will end on 31st August 2010 at SM City Davao Future Development Site.

The activity is staged by Mindanao’s premier floriculture institution, the Floriculture Industry Council of Southern Mindanao (FICSMIN) together with the City Veterinarian Office, City Agriculture Office and the City Cooperative Office.

For further information please visit

http://www.kadayawan.com/home/home

Locally Made Equipment Saves Dairy Industry

The locally fabricated milk processing equipment have helped the Philippine Dairy Industry save a lot. Dairy farmers no longer need to import batch pasteurizer, milk blender, and even milk cans.

According to Engr. Julius Sante, an experience dairy engineer, the said equipment were made of stainless steel which are food grade and made to satisfy the standards set by Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) in dairy processing. He further stressed that the equipment are efficiently designed to lower the cost of processing and can be repaired by local technicians.

The equipment he designed were installed at Pangantucan, Maramag, Kalilangan (PAMAKA) Farmers Dairy Cooperative based in Pangantucan, Bukidnon. The said equipment were funded by Mindanao Sustainable Settlement Area Development (MinSSAD) project of the Department of Agrarian Reform. This project would be of great help in the development of the dairy industry. Other government agencies helping the project include: National Dairy Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, Central Mindanao University, Philippine Carabao Center- CMU, Cooperative Development Authority, and the Local Government Units of Pangantucan, Maramag, and Kalilangan.

Such equipment are designed to suit the production capacity of the farm.

For more information please call or text Agri-Sense Enterprises at 0920-86-888-62.