FIRST EVER PLANTING FESTIVAL, CONDUCTED IN UAS WITH ‘ANTIBAY’ ACCOMPANIMENT
While the Teduray farmers are playing the ‘Antibay’, a music asking for bountiful harvest from the Almighty, the team from MAFAR and NSQCS led the planting festival under the 60-hectare Palay Seed Production Farm at the Upi Agricultural School (UAS), today (July 20, 2020).
The activity was highlighted by the exciting planting race, that has become an integral part of the festival and was participated by 12 farmers from the locality who all received cash prizes. The race showcased the proper way of transplanting that ensures straight rows and spaces in between that facilitate proper cultural management in rice.
For the partnership project on seed production, the MAFAR turned over to UAS, 60 bags of Registered rice seeds, 120 bags of complete fertilizer, 200 bags of urea fertilizer, 120 bottles of insecticides, and 3 units of knapsack sprayer.
The UAS was then an active member of the Seed Network (SeedNet) that serves as significant sources or provider of quality rice seeds in the region until their accreditation was cut due to unavoidable circumstances. The activity was one way to reconnect to the network and be able to produce and again, become one the suppliers of Registered Rice Seeds.
Tong A. Abas, MAFAR Regional Rice and Seed Focal Person, said the conduct of planting festival and the establishment of quality rice production model farms is one of the ministry’s strategies to resolve the problem on the insufficiency of quality rice seeds in the region. He added that it is also a way to persuade the farmers practice transplanting method that ensures the production of more tillers in rice for increased production.
As the representative of Minister Dr Mohammad S. Yacob, Engr. Ismail A. Guiamel, Assistant to the Minister for Agricultural Operations, emphasized the importance of attaining food security and nutrition in the Bangsamoro that is championed by the MAFAR through Minister Yacob. He also confirmed that Upi is a potential municipality for agricultural development with very supportive LGU that is crucial in the sustainability of the projects like that of the seed production farm.
Meanwhile, Omara M. Kempa, Chief of the NSQCS-BARMM, opportunely announced that the attainment of rice sufficiency is close as the areas for seed production is increasing with their stronger partnership with the ministry now with UAS.
Hon. Councilor Alex Peñalosa, Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture in Upi, said they considered the project as one of the economic recovery measures in the town. He then thanked the ministry and the other partners for the farm input and technical support that will surely upgrade the practices of the farmers and is expected to result in 10-20% yield increase.
In his acceptance message, Dr/Engr. Sukarno B, Datukan, Vocational School Administrator II of UAS, assured the team that they will nourish and sustain the revived partnership. “This planting festival is really inspiring, enticing, and festive and is the first ever planting festival that was conducted here; we have only participated in harvest festival then”, said Dr Datukan.