A record crowd of more than 500 farmers and other visitors attended the first day of the three-day harvest festival {Sept. 8-10, 2016) at the Farm 2 of Agri-Tech Integrated Services (ATISCO) in Brgy. Talaga, Tanauan City, Batangas.

The attendees observed the high-value crops planted by three leading seed companies that include East-West Seed, Allied Botanical Corporation and Bayer Vegetable Seeds. Aside from vegetables and other high-value crops, there was also a showcase of Korean agricultural machines that include the Branson tractor and its equipment, and the compact Lee Hwa rice mill.

The farmers and other attendees also listened to the agricultural programs of the local government unit headed by Mayor Antonio Halili and other city and agriculture officials. Arnel de Mesa and Jennifer Remoquillo of the Department of Agriculture also spoke before the attendees.

De Mesa is the OIC regional executive director of the DA field office in Calabarzon and national deputy project director of the Philippine Rural Development Project. Remoquillo, on the other hand, is the national coordinator of the National High-Value Crops Development Program.

De Mesa expounded on the priority projects under the PRDP and challenged the local administrators to come up with projects that can be funded by the program. Among the priority crops that can be funded are cacao, coffee and other high-value crops.

The PRDP is funded by a P27-billion loan from the World Bank to support infrastructure development like farm-to=market roads, irrigation systems, bridges and potable water.
Another target is the promotion of agricultural enterprises that don’t only include production but also value-adding through processing, and marketing.

Another loan of $450 million from the World Bank is also under negotiation for the continuation of the PRDP.

HIGH-VALUE CROPS – The Prolifica variety of ampalaya is a notable new hybrid that is owned by Bayer Vegetable Seeds but is rumored to be distributed by another seed company that has a wide distribution network in the country.
Prolifica produces a lot beautiful cylindrical fruits. It is a robust plant that seems to be resistant to disease as could be observed at the trial planting at the ATISCO farm.

Another impressive new variety is the Anokhi gourd or upo growing at the ATISCO farm. It is producing a lot of cylindrical fruits that are long and slender.

There are other notable varieties like tomatoes, eggplant, sitao, cucumber, pepper, squash and more.

ATISCO is also doing its own trial of new crop varieties like peanut, sesame and even coconut. It is interesting to note ATISCO’s closely planted coconuts which are intercropped with vegetables. Dante Delima explained that the closely planted coconuts are intended for the production of “ubod” or coconut heart which is a high-priced ingredient for lumpia.

VEGGIE TRAINING CENTER – One major purpose of holding the harvest festival, according to Delima, is to make the farmers realize that there is money in growing high-value vegetables. Eventually Farm 2 could become a training center for the production of vegetables and other high-value crops.

The farmers could then become contract growers for ATISCO which is currently producing rice and vegetables for the requirements of the canteen of Yazaki Torres Manufacturing Corporation, mother company of ATISCO. Yazaki is said to have 14,000 strong employees who eat at the Yazaki canteen and also buy rice and vegetables in the ATISCO market inside the Yazaki compound for their home consumption.