Japan finances training center for farmers

Japanese ambassador to the Philippines Kojiro Takano and Sr. Celerina M. Zabalana, directress of Social Development Center (Sodec), signed a grant contract for the establishment of a training center for farmers and other people’s organizations in Abra at the embassy of Japan last May 13.

The project, amounting to $32,718 (P1,766,825), will be funded through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects or GGP (formely named Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects or GAGP) under Japan’s official development assistance (ODA).

More than 1,000 farmers representing 25 local organizations in Abra will initially benefit from the project.

Farmers in Abra are beset with the increasing cost of commercial fertilizers and the apparent soil degradation caused by chemical overuse affecting their productivity and income.

To help improve their situation, Sodec started a sustainable agriculture four years ago with its own demo farm at the Center for Organic Farming in barangay Galicia Pidigan, Abra. At the center, farmers have been taught various agricultural techniques especially on organic farming through seminars and hands-on training activities.

However, built in 1970’s, the training facility has become too old and dilapidated, forcing Sodec to utilize a bamboo-made training hall without walls. Participants have to sleep in the chapel enduring the coldness of the night while others have to stay in relatives’ houses nearby.

To provide a place conducive to the capacity building of farmers and their organizations, Sodec requested support from the embassy of Japan. The embassy will provide an ODA grant for the completion of a two-story training facility with spacious dormitories and conference rooms that could accommodate up to 90 participants. This project, which will facilitate increasing the farmers’ understanding and skills on sound agricultural practices, will thus help them acquire more and sustainable income in the long term.