SAN
ILDEFONSO, Bulacan--Call them small, but farmers in this agricultural town are
nothing but small, and they are producing big.
This
is due to their continued utilization of modern agricultural technologies that
has been tested abroad.
An
example is the use of plastic mulch which was first introduce in Taiwan, then
the drip irrigation system practiced and perfected in Israel and India, and the
use of effective micro-organize first practiced in Japan.
Apolinario
Cruz, a 59-year old farmer from Barangay Pala-pala here said that new
technologies have dramatically increased production in his four hectare farm.
“I
was able to send my Children to college, one of them has graduated already, and
that is only through farming,” he said.
The
same was echoed by Reynaldo Victoria, a farmer from Barangay Bubulong Malaki
here.
Victoria
said that in the last 1o years, he has been using plastic mulch in his farm
which dramatically reduced cost of maintenance of the farm like regular removal
of weeds.
Like
Cruz, Victoria said that he also regular participated in training workshops to
increase his knowledge on new technologies.
The
most recent training they participated on is the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan
Livelihood training which introduced them to drip irrigation system and the use
of effective microorganisms.
The
three month long training module that required hands on practice ended with a
harvest festival yesterday at the Bulacan Agricultural State College (BASC)
demo farm here.
The
said training program is aimed at increasing capacities of local farmers as
2015 draw near.
Connie
Angeles, head of the Livelihood and Outreach Program of the SM Foundation
Incorporated (SMFI) said that by 2015 there will be open trading Asia and local
farmers must be prepared not only to produce but be an entrepreneur.
SMFI
sponsored the training program and partnered with Harbest Agribusiness.
Angeles
said that out of the 126 participants from Bulacan, 80 had completed the module
and will join 6,500 other farmers in the country who had earlier participated
in the said training.
“So
far, those who participated in our trainings has testified they in made a
difference in their lives, especially on their harvest,’ Angeles said.
She
said that they will continue to hold trainings in other provinces to further
equip farmers with new technologies and improve their production. (Dino Balabo)
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