Apayao PLGU conducts consultation meeting on development of vegetable planting calendar

Luna, Apayao - To craft a locally-appropriate vegetable planting calendar in Apayao, the Provincial Office for Agricultural Services (POAS) initiated consultative talks with local farmers on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.

Held earlier at the Borromeo's Residence, Luna, the activity aimed at gathering insights from farmers that will play a crucial part in the development of said vegetable planting calendar, ensuring that their needs are properly addressed in return.

The consultation meeting was attended by representatives from the POAS, as well as members of various vegetable farmers associations, graduates of Farmer's Field School (FFS), and farmers who are engaged in semi and commercial vegetable production.

To make the right amendments to the proposed calendar, participants shared their practices and discussed their experiences in growing different types of vegetables in their communities, including their planting season, as well as factoring in the challenges they face in planting and harvesting their crops.

Said inputs will further guide the POAS in the implementation of a more systematic approach to vegetable planting, incorporating interventions suitable to diverse kinds of crops and to the existing topographical nature of the province.

POAS is set to finalize the said planting calendar in the coming weeks, with hopes that this initiative will contribute to the development of a more sustainable and resilient agriculture sector in Apayao.

Agriculturist I Roderick Paturay expressed his gratitude to the vegetable farmers for their active participation in the consultation meeting. He also emphasized the importance of the vegetable planting calendar in promoting sustainable agriculture in the province.

"The development of a vegetable planting calendar is a notable move towards promoting sustainable agriculture in the province," Paturay said. "This initiative will help our farmers make informed decisions on when to plant their crops, which will result in higher crop yields and better economic opportunities for them."