Photo Opportunity after the practicum on nursery establishment and propagation of seedlings in the nursery together with Dinabeth D. Onayan, Agriculturist II, Mae Joy G. Cuales, Coconut Development Officer both from PCA-Aklan and Edmar Z. Zamora, Technical Support Staff IV from ATI Region 6.
IBAJAY, Aklan – To further improve the standing of the coconut industry in terms of production in the region, ATI Region 6, in partnership with the Philippine Coconut Authority, introduced Training on Coconut Nursery Establishment and Management Batch 1 under the CFIDP program on March 26-28, 2025 at PS Integrated Farm with a total of thirty-two participants in the Province of Aklan.
The Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) is for the nation's coconut industry. As the implementing agency, the ATI Region 6 and the Philippine Coconut Authority joined forces to train coconut farmers and their families under the National Coconut Farmers Registry System (NCFRS).
Dinabeth D. Onayan, Agriculturist II from PCA-Aklan, confers a message of resiliency amidst the challenges the coconut industry faces during her opening remarks.
“Nakikita natin kung gaano kaganda ang sektor ng pagniniyog sa ating probinsiya. Dito sa Region 6, ang Province of Aklan ay number 1 producer of coconut kaya dapat maging proud kayo sa inyong mga sarili. Kahit ano mang bagyo at peste ang harapin ng mga niyog, still nagproproduce pa rin ito ng bunga. Ganyan ka resilient ang ating mga niyog”,” said Dinabeth D. Onayan, Agriculturist II from PCA-Aklan during her opening remarks.
Around 90% of all coconut trees worldwide are nearing the end of their proper lifecycle. Rejuvenating the supply of coconuts is necessary to ensure the sustainability and productivity of coconut plantations.
In Western Visayas, coconut remains one of the top ten crops by production volume in the second quarter of 2024. As for the rank of the Philippines' volume of crop production, Western Visayas contributes 4.5% of coconut production, ranking 11th place. This ranking must be maintained through the production of quality planting materials.
Meanwhile, coconut nursery establishment lies in its ability to provide farmers with quality planting materials. Seedlings produced in nurseries are more uniform in size and growth rate than those grown from seeds directly planted in the field. This ensures that all trees mature simultaneously, making harvesting more straightforward and efficient.
“Ang Province of Aklan ay isa sa tatlong batches na magcoconduct tayo ng Training on Coconut Nursery Establishment and Management. Kasama ang PCA, iniencourage namin kayo na magput-up ng nursery sa inyong asosayon at iaccredit ito upang sa gayon ay magkaroon tayo ng quality seed nut na mas mainam itanim", urged Edmar Zamora, Technical Support Staff IV from ATI Region 6 during his overview of activity.
As part of the training, participants performed a practicum on nursery establishment, seedling propagation in the nursery, maintenance of nursery beds, and polybag nurseries. This practicum activity will equip them with adequate knowledge and information regarding nursery establishment and management and encourage them to become one of the primary sources of registered seed nuts and coconut seedlings.
This three-day training aims to enhance the participants’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes about efficient and sustainable seedling propagation, nursery management, and operation for coconut production.
