Department of Agriculture launches 'state-of-the-art' greenhouse in Baguio city

Photo Courtesy || Manny Pinol

Cordillera - Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol led the launching ceremony of the nine 'smart greenhouses' on Friday at the Bureau of Plant Industry located in Baguio City.

The 3,450 square meters 'state of the art' greenhouse have been set up for the training of farmers to enable them to learn how to manage a modern greenhouse facility. 

The PHP122 million worth smart greenhouse facility is a pilot project of the DA and funded by the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). 

It aims to train Cordillera farmers in the production of high value-added agricultural products like cherry tomatoes and strawberries  among others. 

DA Sec Piñol said this would be part of department goal modernizing the Philippine Agriculture industry by pursuing modern farming method that is fully automated and state-of-the-art. 

The smart greenhouse is fully automated and some features like temperature and water control can be operated using a mobile phone. The greenhouse is also solar-powered. 

The Korean built greenhouses can produce a ton of red and yellow cherry tomatoes also known as grape tomatoes every week based on current computation and output, according to Mr. Jesus Aspuria, Center Chief of BPI-Baguio.

Photo Courtesy || Manny Pinol

Piñol said there is a demand of farm products from our country by the international markets like countries in eastern Europe. 

"They are hungry with farm products from our country. They would like to discover what the Philippines has to offer," he said. 

According to Piñol, the success of the smart greenhouse will be replicated in all regions of the country to help other farmers learn this modern technology so that they can produce high quality products for the country and for export as well.

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LOOK: High-tech Areal Spraying Drone tested in La Trinidad Farms

Photo source || Manny Pinol FB

Cordillera - Benguet farmers will soon get into using cutting edge technology such as areal drones when it comes to spraying their crops as the Department of Agriculture (DA) successfully tested a remote-controlled drones which is capable of spraying vegetables from above. 

According to DA Secretary Manny Piñol five thousand hectares of vegetable farms in Buguias town and other selected towns of Benguet Province will serve as the pilot area of the newest farming technology which the department of Agriculture is adopting. 

The areal spraying drone was tested in vegetable farms in La-Trinidad witnessed by the Japanese Embassy and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) officials, Benguet Governor Cresencio Pacalso and some curious vegetables farmers. 

DA Sec. Piñol said the use of drone technology in farm operation will be the fist time the Department is utilizing. 

He also said the farms in the Cordillera Region is ideal for the said technology because most of these are carved out of the mountains and the task of going up and down to spray the crops is costly to farmers. 

Agricultural drone technology has been improving in the last few years and many farmers are ready to adopt the use of it in improving their farm productivity. 

Drone applications in farming can range from surveying and mapping to cropdusting and spraying. 

Areal Spraying Drones can carry tanks of fertilizers and pesticides in order to spray crops located in higher elevated slope where traditional spraying method is hard to operate. The use of areal drones can also protect the farmers who spray crops manually from the risk of potential pesticide exposure. 

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Farmers in Paoay Atok, Benguet granted Php100 million road project - Piñol

DA Sec Manny Piñol takes a photo shoot in front of a vegetable plantation in Atok, Benguet.
Image credits: Manny Piñol's FB account

Farmers and villagers of Atok, Benguet has received a big blessing  on Good Friday as the Department of Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol revealed that the village will be granted P100 million for a road project.

Thanks to the Low Pressure Area in the East Philippine Sea that halted his scheduled expedition to the Benham Rise this week, the DA Sec instead went to a village in Atok, Benguet.

"The people of Paoay will have to thank God for the Low Pressure Area east of Luzon which resulted in the postponement of the Benham Rise expedition and led me to their village." DA Sec. Piñol wrote on his FB account.

According to Piñol, he was informed by Barangay Chairman Leo Cawaing of Paoay the need of the village for a 10 kilometer concrete Farm to Market Road so that farmers can transport their produce to the market.

The village of Paoay has also been known for its Sakura-like park which was planted with hundreds of cherry blossoms from Japan.

The DA Secretary  told the villagers that "the PRDP has sufficient funds provided the local government of Atok will puts a 10 % equity"

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