A total of 33 participants attended the Training on Innovative Post Harvest Technology on Agri-Fishery Products for RBOs and Farm Families of CAR on March 20-22, 2024 at the ATI-RTC-CAR, BSU Compound, La Trinidad, Benguet.
It aims to capacitate the members of the farm family on meat processing for them to be able to provide a variety of safe food for their family. Moreover, processing also adds value to the meat, hence it can be a source of livelihood.
The participants were immersed in the following topics: Good Manufacturing Practices, Importance and principles of Food Processing, Common Equipment Use on Food Processing, Common ingredients used in Food Processing, and Food Processing Technologies with practicum exercises.
Processing of agri-fishery products is being encouraged as one way to cope with over-supply or spoilage of agri-fishery products. These processing techniques are aimed at inhibiting microbial spoilage and increasing the shelf life of these products. When there is a higher supply of food, a lot of meat, fish, vegetables and fruits go to waste when the storage conditions become unbearable. Thus, processing and preserving foods can prevent their wastage and this will also ensure continuous food supply.
The participants were able to produce processed meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits with hands-on preparation by applying GMP. Participants were also able to demonstrate various food processing and preservations through drying, salting, sugar concentrate, fermentation, curing, and freezing as well as the packaging, labeling, and pricing of meat products.
During the Closing Program, Ms. LigayaLayyag of Natonin, Mountain Province expressed that she is thankful for the agency (ATI-RTC-CAR) because of the constant reminder to revive the RBO in their municipality. She is grateful to be one of the participants and for this training, she wanted to pursue revive the rural-based organization in their locality. “We should be processors in our way, from our farm to our kitchen. This training wants us to innovate and commercialize our processed products,” she exclaimed.
