[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Science and technology to aid citrus production’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY JULIO P. YAP JR.
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
THE Citrus Resources Research for Development in Cagayan Valley or the CRR4DCV program is expected to help develop the citrus industry not only in the province of Nueva Vizcaya but also in the entire region.
The program, which will run for a period of three years, aims to address the problems and gaps in the citrus industry of the region by providing strategic science and technology(S&T) interventions in citrus production.
The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (PCAARRD-DOST) is pushing for the R&D program.
The four component projects under the program will focus on the following key areas – value chain, plant genetic resources, production of quality planting materials, and integrated pest management.
The project is the first among the Regional Industry Strategic S&T Programs or ISPs approved for funding support by the Council.
To be implemented by the Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU) under the leadership of Dr. Elbert A. Sana, the program had an inception meeting for CRR4DCV at the Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU).
Cooperating agencies, which include the Cagayan Valley Agriculture and Aquatic Resources Research and Development (CVAARRD), DOST Regional Office 2 (DOST-R2), Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office 2 (DA-RFO2) and its attached agency the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), and the local government units of Kasibu and Villaverde, attended the meeting.
Other cooperating agencies that were not present during the meeting are the National Plant Genetic Resources Laboratory of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (NPGRL-UPLB), Isabela State University, Quirino State University, and Cagayan State University.
The Namujhe Integrated Farms, which was also represented during the meeting, will provide technical assistance in the implementation of the program.
“The university has already established a name in research and we would like to strengthen that even further with DOST-PCAARRD’s help and with the help of other funding agencies,” NVSU Vice President for Academic Affairs and Campus Administrator Dr. Loreta Vivian R. Galima said.
CVAARRD Consortium Director, Dr. William C. Medrano, said that citrus was the first commodity packaged out of the five ISP commodities identified by CVAARRD.
“I always believe that the product of R&D should not rest in the university, it should be adopted, and it should be commercialized,” DOST-R2 Director Sancho A. Mabborang pointed out, referring to the technologies that would be developed under the projects.
Following the inception meeting was a visit to the NVSU facilities such as the citrus disease indexing laboratory and budwood increase block and nursery, and the project sites in the municipalities of Kasibu and Villaverde.
Recommendations for the improvement of project implementation were provided to the farmer cooperators.
Alfonso C. Namujhe Jr., Magsasaka Siyentista, owner of Namujhe Integrated Farms and pioneer of citrus production in Nueva Vizcaya, said that he adopted good management practices to improve citrus production in his farm.
He believes that Nueva Vizcaya has so much potential in producing the commodity, hence he promotes and shares his knowledge to help other citrus growers./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
