April 25, 2024

The Department of Trade and Industry-Apayao continues to provide training to enhance the quality of products of different farmers’ groups in the province.
 The Talifugo Indigenous Farmers Association (TIFA) members in Conner underwent a skills training on rice brew processing conducted by DTI-Apayao through its Shared Service Facility (SSF) and Negosyo Center.
TIFA is a beneficiary of the Integrated Natural Resources and Environmental Management-Livelihood Enhancement Support Project funded by the Asian Development Bank, in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources that seeks to provide strategic enabling conditions that will sustainably increase the sales from commodities produced by upland farmers, smallholders, and micro enterprises in the covered areas.   
The training aimed to enable the TIFA, one of the producers of heirloom rice in the province, add value to their existing products.
Divina Guillermo, owner of Guillermo’s Palay Trading and Rice Milling and a producer of rice brew, served as the trainer and showed the proper way of roasting and brewing rice.
The participants committed to add rice brew as one of their products.
DTI-Apayao through the Negosyo Center Santa Marcela also conducted a three-day meat processing enhancement training at Barocboc.
The training was participated in by 15 members of the SIBES Agrarian Reform Multipurpose Cooperative which is a beneficiary of DTI SSF on meat processing.
Christine Kristel Suguitan from Pamplona, Cagayan, owner of Kristel’s Food House, shared the basics of meat processing and on how to make garlic longganisa, pork embotido, and beef tapa.
She showed the trainees the proper mixing of the ingredients and the ratio needed to give consistent taste to the finished products as well as proper preparation and sanitation. – Redjie Melvic Cawis