NSO calls for support in agri, fisheries census

By Rizalie A. Calibo

SIQUIJOR, Nov 24 (PIA)--The National Statistics Office (NSO) is calling for support in its upcoming Census of Agriculture and Fisheries (CAF) in February next year. 

NSO-Siquijor officer-in-charge Leopoldo Alfantra said the accuracy and success of the census lies on the truthfulness of the information provided by the respondents themselves. 

Survey respondents are the farm operators or those who grow crops, raise livestock or poultry, fishing operators and operators of fishponds, fish cages, fish pens and other aqua farms. 

A consultative forum was conducted earlier to prepare and inform the public about the census and the usefulness of data that the agricultural sector can provide. 

Participants were representatives from the local government units (LGUs), selected farmers and fishermen groups, data users from government and non-government agencies, private sectors and other stakeholders. 

CAF will be conducted in all the regions and provinces in the Philippines this coming February 2013. (rmn/RAC/PIA-Siquijor) 

=============

DOST, UPLB forge agreement to engage farmers to agri-business

By Rizalie A. Calibo

SIQUIJOR, Nov 24 (PIA) —The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) have signed a mmorandum of agreement (MOA) to provide financial and technical assistance to the Farmer Scientist Training Program. 

"The project Urban and Rural Technology Transfer and Commercialization of Farm Products developed by FSTP-Trained Farmers in Region 7 (Phase 1) aims to sustain and inspire more of our FSTP-trained farmers to expand their business operation," said Romulo Davide, program leader and 2012 Ramon Magsaysay awardee during the agri-business conference and workshop held recently in Siquijor. 

Davide said Corn-Based Farmer-Scientists Research Development Extension (RDE) Training Program (FSTP) has long been in operation in Cebu and Siquijor. 

It started in Colawin, Argao, Cebu in 1994 and has since expanded to almost all towns of Cebu. 

Similarly in Siquijor, FSTP started in 2003 and has trained already more than a thousand farmer-scientists. 

Citing its goal of liberating poor farmers from the bondage of poverty and hunger and as business enterprise, Davide said over 20,000 FSTP-trained farmers scientists in region 7 are now successfully engaged in agribusiness. 

Their annual income has greatly been increased to more than 100% with some of the model farmer-scientists now earning more than a million pesos annually from the sales of their farm products, he said. 

He said that with the agri-business undertaking with the DOST, Siquijor will be able to identify appropriate farm production, processing and packaging technologies suitable for the local markets and farm-food products needed by the resorts and hotels in Siquijor. 

This will also boost Siquijor tourism, he said.(rmn/RAC/PIA-Siquijor)