Agri Info Caravan equips 150 farmers for soil quality and livelihood enhancement in Pototan, Iloilo

More than 150 farmers in Pototan, Iloilo, were equipped with skills and knowledge aimed at enhancing soil quality and boosting their livelihoods during the Agricultural Information Caravan held at Cordero Gym, recently. The caravan, designed to empower local farmers, emphasized the important role of soil quality in ensuring sustainable agriculture. Through engaging sessions, farmers were introduced to effective techniques to improve soil fertility and increase crop yields.

Department of Agriculture Western Visayas (DA-WV) Regional Information Officer James Earl Ogatis underscored Regional Executive Director Dennis Arpia’s directives to prioritize educating farmers about soil health emphasizing the need to address deficiencies and degradation of farm soils to enhance farming productivity and its significance as the crucial source of the agricultural products. 

DA Soils Laboratory Agriculturist II Aileen Mae Andrada provided an in-depth discussion on soil health, nutrient management, and soil sampling to the attending farmers.

The caravan also featured presentations from Rice, Corn, High Value Crops, Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), and Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) highlighting their programs and initiatives tailored for the year 2024, all geared towards supporting and advancing the livelihoods of farmers in the region.

One of the farmers, Leila Copia of Brgy. Catoogan expressed her gratitude for the insights gained during the caravan saying that the knowledge she gained are needed to improve their farming practices, improve better yields and ultimately improve her income.

Meanwhile, Mayor Rafael Enrique Lazaro also graced the event emphasizing the town’s commitment to diversified farming, moving beyond rice production. He highlighted the municipality’s upgraded slaughterhouse to meet high standards and stressed the importance of developing farm-to-market roads for efficient transportation of agricultural products. 

Mayor Lazaro also affirmed the municipality’s readiness to embrace modern farming technologies, including mechanization, to stay competitive globally. 

“Our focus is not only on rice production we’re diversifying our farming practices. We are open to new farming technologies, including farm mechanization which is crucial for us to remain competitive globally. I also encourage our farmers to explore value-adding opportunities to enhance their income,” underscored Mayor Lazaro.

During the activity, the DA-WV provided assorted vegetable seeds, information, education and communication (IEC materials) cacao and jackfruit seedling and farm implements such as spade and garden hoe to participating farmers to improve their farming activities. ### Texts by: MSSubang | Photos by KDCaldina & AMTabura/DA-RAFIS 6