BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA-CAR) Research and Regulations division is currently focusing on local-based agricultural and fishery researches, mainly for food safety and security.
Led by Regional Technical Director Atty Jennylyn Dawayan, researches on rice varieties and rice blends, the local dairy industry, quality planting materials and collaborations, and significant biological species are being done in support of government programs for food safety and security.
The research procedures have to be scientific and practical, compliant with the poultry and animal welfare act, with the results farmer-user-friendly, food and food products are organic, safe and halal. The venues for technical and technological showcases are the regional outreach stations, Luna and Rizal, Kalinga and the Baguio Animal Breeding and Research Center (BABRC) at Sto. Tomas.
The laboratories mentioned are also involved in feeds, seeds, soils, pest and disease surveillance including rabies, foot and mouth, African Swine Fever (ASF), and other organisms not allowed to travel to and from the county.
As for lowland rice variety, annual trials are being done in coordination with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and PhilRice for best yield, tolerance for drought, saline and water submergence. Good yielding varieties are recommended to farmer-planters.
Model farm use for released rice research products as to appearance, taste and yield are being readied for commercialization with appropriate location, cropping system, and adoption to specific stresses noted. Heirloom varieties’ conservation, seed banking for DA’s banner programs is also being done in the research facilities.
Rice-corn blends are also experimented on, with focus on food self-sufficiency. Rice mixed with other staples is a continuing collaborative project from the 2014 food sufficiency program with national awareness as a target. The rice blend project was started to augment the rice shortage, even as the Cordilleras is rice-sufficient as a region.
Dawayen however lamented that less than one percent of total funds is allotted to research purposes, with thriving countries having more, referring to Israel having 17% for research.
As to dairy requirements, Dawayen pointed to the Cordillera Dairy Development Project to address said dependency on foreign sources. Located at the Baguio Animal Breeding and Research Center (BABRC), the program aims to establish the foundation for a sound and viable dairy industry in the region; through raising and breeding pure dairy lines, reducing the country’s reliance on milk imports, increase local milk production, showcase and promote modern and sustainable dairy technologies and exhibit it as agri-tourism endeavors.
In fact, Dawayen mentioned of 100 heads of pregnant Holstein-Friesian for delivery on August 2019 for dispersal to specifically trained farmers from Baguio and nearby provinces.
The dairy program would also explore operations management, innovation and technologies on product development, forage options and ideal milking regimen.
For the program, nine batches to undergo basic training courses on dairy management were programmed for three farmer groups and six groups from Benguet State University (BSU) Buguias campus, Ifugao State University (IFSU) and other individual trainees from Baguio and nearby provinces.
Other activities are being scheduled to strengthen the BABRC as a research hub. ** juliegfianza
