Under the the National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program (NUPAP), the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in MIMAROPA, in collaboration with the City Agricultural Services Department (CASD) of Calapan City, the Sangguniang Barangay of Sta. Rita, and several seed companies, organized the Vegetable Derby and Harvest Festival with the theme “Seed-sational Success: From Seed to Harvest” at Barangay Sta. Rita, Calapan City, on July 24, 2024.
The activity aimed to showcase the different varieties of vegetables from participating seed companies, including Pilipinas Kaneko Seeds, East-West Seeds Company Inc., Allied Botanical Corporation, and Ramgo Seeds International Corporation, and the new technologies in vegetable production, particularly for urban areas where space for planting vegetables and other crops is limited.
Participants, consisting of farmers from different farmers’ associations from Calapan City and Puerto Galera engaged in a field tour of the derby site, where the seed companies introduced the new varieties of vegetables they had cultivated and their crops’ performance in the area. Each farmer selected the company with the best produce. The tallied votes of the participants resulted in East-West Seeds receiving awards for ATIng Tamang Okra, ATIng Tamang Sili (Panigang and Hot), ATIng Tamang Kamatis, ATIng Tamang Talong, ATIng Tamang Ampalaya, and ATIng Tamang Kalabasa.
Calapan City Mayor Hon. Malou Flores-Morillo, in her message, reminded farmers of the importance of not only knowing the varieties of vegetables but also the correct way of cultivating them.
“Kailangan po nating malaman ang mga ipinapaliwanag sa atin ng mga technician; hindi lang po tayo dapat titingin, kundi makinig din sa kanila. Kailangan din po nating mas mapalalim ang ating kaalaman kung paano natin matutunan ang tamang paraan ng pag-aalaga ng gulay,” she said.
The activity concluded with the harvesting and selling of vegetables to farmers and other customers. The money earned from this harvest festival will be used as funds for the Samahan ng Magsasaka ng Sta. Rita.
