BUTUAN CITY – The Agricultural Training Institute – Regional Training Center XIII through its High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) conducted a Training of Trainers (TOT) on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) on Banana Production on April 5-8, 2022 at Balanghai Hotel and Convention Center, Barangay Doongan.

It was attended by 24 individuals composed of agricultural extension workers (AEWs) and one Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA) cooperator from the five provinces of the region.

The four-day training, with 17 units of Continuing Professional Development (CPD), aims to enhance the knowledge, attitude, and skills of the participants. Topics discussed were the banana industry overview, status, and marketing opportunities. The partakers also learned elements of GAP, cultural management practices from planting, fertilization, water management, desucking, debunching or deflowering, defingering and dehanding, practices, pests and diseases, harvest and post-harvest management of banana.

Aside from the lectures, the group also performed hands-on demonstrations and actual identification of some diseases and pest infestations and its possible management.

They also visited Guias Integrated Farm, owned by Shiela Maglines, where she shared her experiences and best practices applied on the farm.

“I am very happy and thankful to attend this kind of training, I learned a lot about how to manage and to control the pest and diseases,” said Chara R. Dadap, from the Local Government Unit of Sibagat, Agusan del Sur.

The said activity was conducted by ATI-RTC XIII spearheaded by the Partnership and Accreditation Services Section (PASS) with Mary Jane Gonzaga, Development Management Officer I and HVCDP point person.