LOS ANGELES, Butuan City - The Regional Training Center in Caraga Region (ATI-RTC) XIII conducted the “Agri Ini, Hisgutan Ta (Online Agri-Talk) via Zoom on herbs and spices processing held on July 20, 2022 and cassava processing on July 21, 2022.

More than 200 individuals composed of farmers, students, and Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs) held in 10 Farmers Information and Services (FITS) Center namely: FITS - Tagana-an, Surigao del Norte; FITS - Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte; FITS – Esperanza, Agusan del Sur; FITS – Butuan City; FITS – San Agustin, Surigao del Sur; FITS – Veruela, Agusan del Sur; FITS – Buenavista, Agusan del Norte; FITS – RTRomualdez, Agusan del Norte; FITS – Surigao City, Surigao del Norte; and FITS – San Francisco, Agusan del Sur.

Fil Victor A. Babanto, OIC-Center Director, expressed his appreciation for the support given by the Municipal Agriculture Offices through which the FITS Centers were located. He also stressed that the ATI has valued online activities more since the pandemic in 2020. Through this, a large group audience is reached and even with the restrictions, farmers and other agri-enthusiasts can get updates and even learn new things.

The participants were able to learn how to process herbs and spices through Jhoanna G. Garcia, a Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA) cooperator and owner of Jabez Farm. They also get information on the basics of growing herbs and spices such as thyme, lavender, coriander, pepper, mint, parsley, etc.

On the other hand, Imelda O. Pagalan, a retired government employee from Esperanza, Agusan del Sur, served as the resource speaker for cassava processing. She gave a brief introduction about cassava and its other uses aside from its consumption as food. Three cassava recipes were also introduced. These are pichi-pichi, cassava cake, and salvaro or kabkab.

The activity was spearheaded by the Information Services Section headed by OIC – Chief Jason Paul Dads E. Jampac.