MAFAR HOLDS PILOT TESTING OF CORPORATE FARMING IN BARMM
In attaining the goal to revive, boost and sustain the corn industry in the Bangsamoro region, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform- Research, Development and Extension Services launched the project for Pilot Testing of Corporate Farming in BARMM on October 18, 2023, at Barangay Mirab, Upi, Maguindanao del Norte to mark the start of the season-long call project.
Pilot Testing of Corporate Farming in BARMM will benefit 25 RSBSA registered farmers residing in the respective Barangay of Mirab, who were all present at the launching of the project.
The identified recipients qualified for the required 1-hectare land area for the Piloting of Corn Farm. Also, farmers shall receive farm inputs and be introduced to the new technologies during the implementation and to the marketing opportunities after the post-harvest period.
In the opening program, Engr. Sukarno B. Datukan, Ph.D., Vocational School Administrator II of Upi Agricultural School, welcomes the staff from MAFAR-RDE, MAFAR Province, and the invited corn farmers with the message of hope for the smooth implementation of the project.
“As we go on with this project, I hope that you, as the recipient, will take it wholeheartedly and always consider this project’s outcome to be a successful one. We are looking forward to more services we can offer the farmers, especially in the marginalized sector”, he said.
On behalf of MAFAR RDE Director II, Tong A. Abas, Dr. Esmael S. Satol, Ph.D., Chief Science Research Specialist, delivers a message, visualizing the current situation of the corn industry not only in BARMM but in the whole country.
He said that the corn industry is dramatically dying for so many factors to point out. Anticipating the reasons, first, it is a low-quality produced corn; second is the laggard technology adaptation of farmers; and third is, of course, the low selling price of corn products in the market.
Through this season-long project, which shall be led by the Senior Science Research Specialist and ROs Superintendent for Agriculture of Maguindanao Province, Mr. Abdulislam Belongan, the identified project cooperators (farmers) will be fostered with technical knowledge on proper management and maintenance of corm farming all through-out the post-harvest.
The cooperators were challenged to produce high-yield and quality corn to earn a higher income, opening a good marketing opportunity for corn producers in BARMM.
MAFAR Municipal Officer of Upi, Mr. Dimasisil A. Akmad, expresses his gratitude to the MAFAR Minster, Dr. Mohammad S. Yacob, Ph. D., for granting the project to be established in Upi, Maguindanao.
“We are hoping to receive more projects from the ministry, and we will do our part to cooperate and assist for the entire implementation of this project,” he added.
He said before this launch, we met about the site wherein the MAFAR could establish the pilot testing and the prospective cooperators to help carry out this project. With the help of UAS research staff, we, in the MAFAR municipal office, recommended setting the project within the perimeter of the ROs.
Moreover, Mr. Belongan imparts knowledge to the participants to increase their technical know-how on Corn Production, Proper Cultivation and Land Preparation, Quality Seed Selection, fertilizer management, Pest and Diseases Management, and post-operation.
After this activity, a site validation shall be conducted on a total of 25 hectares situated within Barangay Mirab by the project team before the planting season of corn arrives on February 2024.