FFS GRADUATES COMPLETE 8-MONTH TRAINING, VOWED TO PURSUE LEARNINGS IN COCOPAL FARMING SYSTEM

Farmers Field School (FFS) group in Barangay Maag, an Isidro, Davao Oriental held their recognition day last Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at Brgy. Maag Gymnasium. The farmer/participants were delighted to have completed the required sessions for eight months, and got excited after receiving their shirts and certificate. FFS is a CoCopal Farming System Project implemented by CIDAMi in partnership with ACDI/VOCA with funding support from USDA They believed that even if FFS has ended, they will continue to propagate and plant cacao for their future benefits. Training materials, snacks, farm tools, and cocoa seedlings were provided during the 8 months training. The FFS has not been possible without the effort of the CocoPal Farmer Facilitators who have been conducting the FFS for 8 months and the CoCoPal Extension facilitator who provided technical and logistical support for the CFLs. In San Isidro, there are 1 CoCoPal Extension Facilitator, 6 CoCoPal Farmer leaders (CFLs) and 300 FFS farmers. The Local Chief Executive of San Isidro, Hon. Edgar Flor Saulon, inspired the farmers as he told them that San Isidro was blessed with rich natural resources both in Aqua and agriculture. Local folks can do farming and fishing as long as the motivation and meaning to enrich their individual farm and with the support coming from the government sector is there. CIDAMi representative presented the Code of Best Practices and Philippine National Cocoa Standard in developing a memorandum of understanding and eventually transform it into executive order. Hon. Saulon assured to study the documents presented and vowed to present it to the SB during the session. CIDAMi staff will facilitate the process until the MOU and Executive Order will be formulated between the 2 parties