Knowledge on farming is meant to be shared and, as the extension arm in the agriculture sector, the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) is creating the means for people to do so thru AgriTalk, a series of free seminars on different agriculture and fisheries technologies featuring experts from public and private organizations.
At SM City Puerto Princesa, more than 200 Palaweños gathered for the first series of this year’s AgriTalk, which intends to further strengthen the promotion of urban farming in cities and create more urban farmers.
Through this event, the ATI in partnership with SM Supermalls and Manila Bulletin, aims to help people in urban areas produce their own food even with the limited space in their backyards.
Various practices and technologies on mushroom production, snap hydroponics, and beekeeping were discussed in AgriTalk on April 5, 2019.
Dr. Maria Dulce Mostoles of Central Bicol State University of Agriculture discussed some technologies and investment opportunities in beekeeping. As she provided information on beehive structures and nest architectures, she also shared her study on the Utilization and Commercial Production of Stingless Bees and its byproducts.
Mr. Jesse Descalsota of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) shared tips on Container Gardening through Simple Nutrient Addition Program (SNAP) Hydroponics. He began the discussion with the potentials of hydroponics in the Philippines and demonstrated some of its popular systems.
Descalsota is currently the co-study leader of Primitivo Santos, snap solutions expert, and Professor and University Researcher in UPLB.
Participants of AgriTalk at SM City Puerto Princesa continued to get information on different urban farming practices as Jennifer Reyes from the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office in MiMaRoPa, gave details on mushroom production. She discussed some varieties of mushrooms in the Philippines, its benefits, and mushroom farming techniques.