Aimed at promoting soilless agriculture and lectures that assimilate local/experiential and science-based knowledge for sustainability, productivity, and profitability, urban and peri-urban farmer participants successfully finished the "Training on Basic Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture Technologies through Hydroponics" held on March 18-20, 2025 at the Aspulan Hall, ATI-RTC-CAR, BSU Compd., La Trinidad, Benguet.
Ms. Perla Epie, the Urban and Peri-Urban Focal and the Project Officer, presented in her overview that one of the approaches to addressing food availability is the different technologies such as urban agriculture, and hydroponics. She pointed out that hydroponics can contribute to overcoming food shortages and can be a sustainable business that will entice urban settlers and the youth to enter the agricultural industry for both business and personal food security.
Participants were exposed to the dynamics of putting up a hydroponic vegetable production. A hands-on activity was also done using styrobox and DIY set-up. For a more realistic experience, the participants had a glance to see a simple hydroponics set-up at DomeGarden located in Itogon, Benguet. Economics of Soilless agriculture was also discussed exploring the cost and return analysis.
During the Closing Ceremony, Mr. Angel Garcia, Jr. Farmer and CEO of the Taloy Farmers MultiPurpose Cooperative, expressed that he was hesitant to join the training, however, on the first day, he was hooked. He became interested because everything they aimed to do, and wanted to be implemented in their cooperative was reflected in the training. "First and foremost, I saw how we can encourage the youth to engage in farming. Smart farming, like hydroponics, is one way to attract young people to agriculture. That’s why I didn’t hesitate to seek the services of Domegarden to help us establish our own hydroponics system. Another key takeaway is climate change resiliency, hydroponics allows us to produce crops regardless of the season. We can continue planting even during the rainy season. Lastly, sustainable farming is essential for food security. We all know that soil quality is deteriorating due to excessive chemical use. Through this training, I learned that hydroponics requires minimal labor, low maintenance, and is both a sustainable and environmentally friendly practice. It also provides an additional livelihood opportunity, especially for urban communities," he expressed.
Expressing also his thoughts, Mr. Dindo Umandam, Master Teacher I, of Joaquin Smith National High School located in Asin Road, Baguio City, said that “when the heart is full, the tongue falls silent.” He expressed that he learned so much from the training. In his assessment, the training showed him that even a small or limited space can be turned into a profitable vegetable production. “Our priority is to practice hydroponics at home so our families can enjoy chemical-free vegetables. Our primary goal is to produce for our own consumption first, and then sell the excess,” he concluded.
A total of thirty-three participants attended the said training activity.
