Significance of pineapple

FOLLOWING the successful conduct of its Jackfruit Farms and Industry Encounters through the Science and Technology Agenda (FIESTA) last year, the Visayas Consortium for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Program (ViCAARP) recently held a similar event, this time on Queen Pineapple.

The 30th Joint VICAARP-Regional Research and Development Extension Network (RRDEN) Regional Symposium held the Queen Pineapple FIESTA at the Visayas State University (VSU) in Baybay, Leyte.

The FIESTA on Queen Pineapple featured dance presentations, exhibits, cookfest, and a technology forum.

The event showcased the fruits of the joint program of ViCAARP and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD).

It also aimed to increase and stabilize the income of marginalized farmers not only in Eastern Visayas but also in the Bicol Region.

Titled “Enhancing productivity and marketability of Queen Pineapple,” the program, among other goals, aimed to select superior quality plant, produce high quality planting materials, regulate planting density, manage pest, use queen pineapple by-product, and formulate policy on fruit grading and trading.

Towards these objectives, the event also conducted a technology forum and media conference.

The forum covered different topics such as intercropping, novel products, somatic embryogenesis, tissue culture, queen pineapple strains, and integrated pest management.

It also included a discussion on market demand for pineapple, requirements and standards, thus bridging the farms and the industry, being the most important objective of the FIESTA.

FIESTA is PCAARRD’s platform for research and development (R&D) results utilization.

It aims to promote science and technology (S&T) and its products towards providing competitive and profitable business ventures for the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the agriculture, aquatic and natural resources sectors of the country.

Likewise, creative and colourful dance presentations dubbed the Kaugmaran Festival greeted the attendees of the Queen Pineapple FIESTA, shortly after the ribbon cutting ceremony and opening of exhibits at the VSU Parade Grounds.

Students from the VSU’s satellite campuses and employees from the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center 8 joined the competition.

The dance presentations were inspired by the farmers’ hard work and resilience coupled with their faith in the Almighty for a congenial environment and a bountiful harvest.

The performances also illustrated the importance of queen pineapple as an agricultural crop and how it can help alleviate the economic life of many farmers in Eastern Visayas.

Participants from the VSU Alang-Alang Campus won first place with a cash prize of ₱40,000.

The dance presentation was part of the FIESTA on Queen Pineapple that was held recently.

The ViCAARP FIESTA on Queen Pineapple (QP) winded up a technology forum cum media conference at the VSU Convention Center.

About 700 farmers from as far as Libagon, Tacloban, Palo, Albuera, Carigara, Jaro, Saint Bernard, Hilongos, Ormoc, Maasin, and Tomas Oppus, Southern Leyte, among other towns, attended the forum.

With experts from the VSU as resource persons, the forum tackled technologies on QP’s production, management, use of quality planting materials, novel products, and increasing QP’s marketability. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)