PASIL, Kalinga – The Department of Agriculture through the Special Area for Agriculture Development(SAAD) is training marginalized farmers in the province on coffee rejuvenation to improve coffee production and increase farmers’ income.
The first batch of trainees are coffee growers who are members of the Guinaang Pasil Farmers Association with Rebecca Wanas of the Office of the Municipal Agriculture Services as the resource speaker.
Rejuvenation is the cutting of vertical stems of old coffee trees to induce growth of new sprouts.
Farmers in other barangays in Pasil and in other municipalities are also requesting to undergo the same training.
The Department of Agrarian Reform under its coffee development program conducted buy-in-session with the Pasil Sangguniang Bayan members, Agriculture Services Office personnel, barangay chairmen and cooperative representatives to enhance the local coffee industry given the growing demand for coffee.
The activity is in support to Pasil’s diversified agriculture with coffee as one of its leading products. A portion of the 686 hectares covered by Certificate of Land Ownership Award with 383 beneficiaries is planted with coffee aside from rice. – Peter A. Balocnit
