12th Harvest Festival flaunts new farming technologies, agri produce


The inauguration of automated green house and farm technology training center and the unveiling of the solar-powered water pump and multipurpose farm shredding technologies highlighted the 12th Harvest Festival of the university's College of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (CAFF) held on September 24–25, 2018 in NORSU-Pamplona Campus.

Alluding to this year's festival theme “Embracing Sustainable Agriculture through Resilient Technologies”, NORSU President Joel Limson expressed hopes that with its advanced laboratory facilities and equipment in agriculture, the NORSU-Pamplona campus will become a major agricultural training and knowledge resource hub catering to the needs of the students, farmers, and other stakeholders in the region.

“It is the agriculture sector that encouraged the growth of other agrobased industries that sustain mankind,” said Dr. Limson addressing close to 250 visitors from both public and private agricultural institutions and selected farmers’ organizations of the province who attended the event's convocation program last September 25.

Dr. Limson and CAFF Acting Dean Janice Sojor led the college's officials in receiving the solar powered water pump and multipurpose shredder equipment as donations from Engr. Alberto De Guzman of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in the turnover ceremony. “We are honored to have contributed to the needs of the college making it more productive in the attainment of its vision,” said Engr. De Guzman, adding that their agency is also mandated to ensure effective soil, land and water resource use by undertaking research on soil conservation, irrigation, rainmaking, and other related activities.

Funded by the BSWM's National Organic Agriculture Program, the energy-efficient water pump and multipurpose shredder stand to support the college in its advocacy and promotion of sustainable agriculture program among its stakeholders, particularly by showcasing the efficiency of the technologies in growing high-value crops. For example, the shredder will be used in agricultural wastes management and organic fertilizer production.

Meanwhile, CAFF students held Tabo Sa NORSU, a mini farmers' market where finest agricultural crops from the college's demonstration farm were sold at reasonable prices during the festival's two-day run. High quality vegetables and fruits such as bitter gourd, bell-pepper, cauliflower, sweetcorn, tomato, eggplant, and rambutan were made available to the festival guests.

“Through this activity, everyone will see how invaluable agriculture is as it works hand in hand with forestry – on the preservation and conservation of the environment, and fisheries – on the promotion of fishery products to meet the growing global demand of seafood,” said Prof. Sojor, in her speech, emphasizing how the college contributes in fighting against the pressing food problem by showcasing agricultural produce from various technologies through the annual conduct of Harvest Festival, among other initiatives.

For her part, Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo in her message during the convocation ceremonies, extended her gratitude to the production team of the college for their continued technical assistance extended to the town farmers which boosted their produce and resulted to the uplift of their way of life. Degamo also expressed her wish for the NORSUPamplona Campus to become an independent campus, not just an extension of the NORSU-Dumaguete Campus, believing that through such setup the former would be able to intensify its services to the agri-business sector of the municipality.

The inauguration of automated green house and farm technology training center and the unveiling of the solar-powered water pump and multipurpose farm shredding technologies highlighted the 12th Harvest Festival of the university's College of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (CAFF) held on September 24–25, 2018 in NORSU-Pamplona Campus.

Alluding to this year's festival theme “Embracing Sustainable Agriculture through Resilient Technologies”, NORSU President Joel Limson expressed hopes that with its advanced laboratory facilities and equipment in agriculture, the NORSU-Pamplona campus will become a major agricultural training and knowledge resource hub catering to the needs of the students, farmers, and other stakeholders in the region.

“It is the agriculture sector that encouraged the growth of other agrobased industries that sustain mankind,” said Dr. Limson addressing close to 250 visitors from both public and private agricultural institutions and selected farmers’ organizations of the province who attended the event's convocation program last September 25.

Dr. Limson and CAFF Acting Dean Janice Sojor led the college's officials in receiving the solar powered water pump and multipurpose shredder equipment as donations from Engr. Alberto De Guzman of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in the turnover ceremony. “We are honored to have contributed to the needs of the college making it more productive in the attainment of its vision,” said Engr. De Guzman, adding that their agency is also mandated to ensure effective soil, land and water resource use by undertaking research on soil conservation, irrigation, rainmaking, and other related activities.

Funded by the BSWM's National Organic Agriculture Program, the energy-efficient water pump and multipurpose shredder stand to support the college in its advocacy and promotion of sustainable agriculture program among its stakeholders, particularly by showcasing the efficiency of the technologies in growing high-value crops. For example, the shredder will be used in agricultural wastes management and organic fertilizer production.

Meanwhile, CAFF students held Tabo Sa NORSU, a mini farmers' market where finest agricultural crops from the college's demonstration farm were sold at reasonable prices during the festival's two-day run. High quality vegetables and fruits such as bitter gourd, bell-pepper, cauliflower, sweetcorn, tomato, eggplant, and rambutan were made available to the festival guests.

“Through this activity, everyone will see how invaluable agriculture is as it works hand in hand with forestry – on the preservation and conservation of the environment, and fisheries – on the promotion of fishery products to meet the growing global demand of seafood,” said Prof. Sojor, in her speech, emphasizing how the college contributes in fighting against the pressing food problem by showcasing agricultural produce from various technologies through the annual conduct of Harvest Festival, among other initiatives.

For her part, Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo in her message during the convocation ceremonies, extended her gratitude to the production team of the college for their continued technical assistance extended to the town farmers which boosted their produce and resulted to the uplift of their way of life. Degamo also expressed her wish for the NORSUPamplona Campus to become an independent campus, not just an extension of the NORSU-Dumaguete Campus, believing that through such setup the former would be able to intensify its services to the agri-business sector of the municipality.

The inauguration of automated green house and farm technology training center and the unveiling of the solar-powered water pump and multipurpose farm shredding technologies highlighted the 12th Harvest Festival of the university's College of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (CAFF) held on September 24–25, 2018 in NORSU-Pamplona Campus.

Alluding to this year's festival theme “Embracing Sustainable Agriculture through Resilient Technologies”, NORSU President Joel Limson expressed hopes that with its advanced laboratory facilities and equipment in agriculture, the NORSU-Pamplona campus will become a major agricultural training and knowledge resource hub catering to the needs of the students, farmers, and other stakeholders in the region.

“It is the agriculture sector that encouraged the growth of other agrobased industries that sustain mankind,” said Dr. Limson addressing close to 250 visitors from both public and private agricultural institutions and selected farmers’ organizations of the province who attended the event's convocation program last September 25.

Dr. Limson and CAFF Acting Dean Janice Sojor led the college's officials in receiving the solar powered water pump and multipurpose shredder equipment as donations from Engr. Alberto De Guzman of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in the turnover ceremony. “We are honored to have contributed to the needs of the college making it more productive in the attainment of its vision,” said Engr. De Guzman, adding that their agency is also mandated to ensure effective soil, land and water resource use by undertaking research on soil conservation, irrigation, rainmaking, and other related activities.

Funded by the BSWM's National Organic Agriculture Program, the energy-efficient water pump and multipurpose shredder stand to support the college in its advocacy and promotion of sustainable agriculture program among its stakeholders, particularly by showcasing the efficiency of the technologies in growing high-value crops. For example, the shredder will be used in agricultural wastes management and organic fertilizer production.

Meanwhile, CAFF students held Tabo Sa NORSU, a mini farmers' market where finest agricultural crops from the college's demonstration farm were sold at reasonable prices during the festival's two-day run. High quality vegetables and fruits such as bitter gourd, bell-pepper, cauliflower, sweetcorn, tomato, eggplant, and rambutan were made available to the festival guests.

“Through this activity, everyone will see how invaluable agriculture is as it works hand in hand with forestry – on the preservation and conservation of the environment, and fisheries – on the promotion of fishery products to meet the growing global demand of seafood,” said Prof. Sojor, in her speech, emphasizing how the college contributes in fighting against the pressing food problem by showcasing agricultural produce from various technologies through the annual conduct of Harvest Festival, among other initiatives.

For her part, Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo in her message during the convocation ceremonies, extended her gratitude to the production team of the college for their continued technical assistance extended to the town farmers which boosted their produce and resulted to the uplift of their way of life. Degamo also expressed her wish for the NORSUPamplona Campus to become an independent campus, not just an extension of the NORSU-Dumaguete Campus, believing that through such setup the former would be able to intensify its services to the agri-business sector of the municipality.

In her keynote speech, Agricultural Training Institute 7 Chief Carolyn May Daquio challenged the academia to glamorize agriculture education so to entice more students to pursue the field. Dr. Daquio cited the declining number and aging of the country's farming population, mentioning that the national average age of Filipino farmers is 57. She stressed the need to simplify the promotion of technologies for easier adoption of farmers.

The two-day yearly event also featured Techno Forums to introduce new strategies and farming techniques. Attended by 150 farmers, the activities were co-organized by the Bureau of Plant Industry, Allied Botanical Company, B-MEG Corporation, and CAFF production team.