The Department of Agriculture (DA) will upgrade the skills of members of the Sagay Farmers’ Association (SFA) in new technologies with the establishment of a 50-hectare corn demonstration farm in Barangay Sagay here.

During the launch of the demo facility on Wednesday, the SFA accepted the challenge to use the farm to level up their farming practices using the machinery and other interventions from the government aimed at increasing their yield and income.

Lawyer Salvador Diputado, regional executive director of the DA in Central Visayas, said the SFA received farm inputs worth PHP4 million, including a four-wheel drive tractor with accessories, 450 sacks of fertilizer (complete and urea), 50 bags of hybrid seeds, and 700 bags of organic fertilizer.

Diputado encouraged the farmers and the local government to increase their yield and income by 10 percent and above, using the new technology.

“If you are able to increase your yield and income using the interventions we have given you, then we will give you more. We will validate your water source and will consider granting you a Solar Powered Irrigation System Project worth around PHP6 million,” Diputado said.

He said the DA-7 is willing to give post-harvest facilities such as corn sheller, among others, to support their farming needs.

He said Secretary William Dar “specifically instructed us (regions) to give our full support to the farmers. We have given you (now) farm equipment and provided you with the right technology; it is now your turn to make good use of these opportunities”.

Sagay village chief Jimbo Lusa pledged to buy the corn produce of his constituents to ensure a ready market for them.

The city government, represented by City Administrator Ferdinand Marquez, gave an assurance that the city will provide full support to the program.

“We will look forward to making Barangay Sagay the corn granary of Toledo City,” Marquez said.

The farmers are now using the four-wheel drive tractor for the land preparation of the 50-hectare demo site. Sowing will commence in the next planting season. (PNA)