Camotes Welcomes 232 FSTP Graduates

Almost all barangays in the municipality of Tudela are now covered by Farmer-Scientist Training Program (FSTP).

Dr. Romulo Davide, 2012 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee and FSTP founder, led the graduation of 31 farmers in Barangay Buenavista last April 7.

Davide, Capitol Agriculture consultant for P1 a year, also visited the FSTP-support projects in Tudela that were already completed.

This includes the P15 million farm-to-market road (FMR) and P500,000 trading post. Davide was accompanied by Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Roldan Saragena.

Tudela Mayor Erwin Yu said a formal turnover of the projects is scheduled within Governor Hilario P. Davide III’s campaign sortie in the town this week..

Dr. Davide said the Capitol has now realized its most vital FSTP agricultural support to farmers in the town. These are fertilizers, seeds, market and road. Dr. Davide called this as part of the formula that will make FSTP and the farmers successful.

In San Francisco, 118 farmers graduated from FSTP. There were also six farmers associations (FA) that received water pumps, pipes, and plastic drums. The equipment will be used to generate water from Lake Danao to the surrounding farms.

The recipients were Patabog FA of Barangay Union, Esperanza Igot FA, Santa Cruz FA of Barangay Santa Cruz, Canuche/Patabog Soli-soli FA of Barangay Campo, Bagong Silang nga Mag uuma sa Cabunga-an of Barangay Cabunga-an, Northern Poblacion Farmers and Fishermen’s Association of Barangay Northern Poblacion.

All these associations maintained farms surrounding the lake. The previous experiment conducted by Patabog FA, where the lake water was used to grow corn and vegetables in its nearby field, was successful.

Based also on the favorable result on the water analysis by the University of the Philippines Los Baños, the National Irrigation Administration also committed to establish an irrigation project in the town using the lake water.

On April 8, 83 famers from Poro also got their certificates of completion from FSTP.

FSTP Leader Joseph Dela Cerna said the FSTP graduates have not only completed the lectures and trials. They were also able to produce at least three tons of corn per hectare in any of the trials.

Each farmer also received assorted vegetables after their graduation ceremonies.

FSTP is aimed at increasing farm yields using the best method of farming.

With FSTP, Saragena said the goal is to increase the yield of corn in the province from 800 kilos (based on the data of Bureau of Agricultural Research now Philippine Statistics Authority) per hectare to 1.5 to 2 tons per hectare.

By Xerxes Alkuino

www.cebu.gov.ph