The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) is implementing 102 new projects this year to help raise food production and farmers’ incomes by providing them with farm inputs and technical aid plus educating them on various planting technologies.

In a report to Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, BAR Director Nicomedes Eleazar said these Community-based Participatory Action Research Projects (CPAR) are among the bureau’s banner programs that are being implemented in 16 regions across the country through the Department’s Regional Integrated Agricultural Research Centers (RIARCs).

Of these barangay-based projects, 40 are in Luzon, another 24 in Visayas, and 38 more in Mindanao , Eleazar said.

“Under the CPAR, farmers are presented with better opportunities and strategies to increase their incomes,” he said. “As CPAR “farmer-cooperators,” they are provided farm inputs, livestock, technical assistance, and technology interventions to increase production and profit.”

Eleazar said these technology interventions introduced through CPAR, include crop diversification; poultry and livestock production; the use of appropriate and improved varieties; the proper application of organic fertilizers; implementation of the Integrated Nutrient Management (INM), Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and other cultural management practices.

“These projects are being conducted in close coordination with the local government units (LGUs), national and regional research implementing units, the academe, and members of the community,” Eleazar noted. “Re-dispersal and rollover of benefits sustain the CPAR projects ensuring extension to more community beneficiaries.”

He explained that CPAR technologies teach farmers to apply effective total farm productivity within the context of a sustainable production system and farming system approach so that they can maximize the use of their lands and ensure available, affordable food for their families.

Since its inception in 1999, CPAR is already reaping benefits for 7,046 farmer-beneficiaries all over the country.

One of them, said Eleazar, is Carlos Gamiao, a farmer-adopter of a CPAR project in Barangay Cabisera 10, Ilagan, Isabela.

In a recent project documentation exercise conducted by BAR, Gamiao had narrated how his life changed after adopting CPAR.

Gamiao said: “Talagang malaki ang naitulong sa pamilya ng naibebenta naming mga gulay. Kumikita kami ng pambili ng karne, pang-allowance sa anak. Talaga palang napakaganda ng CPAR project.” (Our income from selling vegetables helped us a lot. We now have money to buy meat and provide allowance for our children. Indeed, CPAR project is really good”.

For 2009, the CPAR is expected to benefit an additional 1,800 farmers.

Besides the CPAR, Eleazar said the bureau is also stepping up the implementation of its National Technology Commercialization Program (NTCP) as its contribution to ongoing government efforts to create jobs under President Arroyo’s P330-billion economic resiliency program aimed at helping Filipinos ride out the deepening global financial crisis.

The NTCP has so far generated 128 diverse and high value livelihood opportunities in the countryside, he said.

Besides the BAR’s job generation efforts, the DA expects to create about 130,000 jobs this year under the President’s Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP) through its goat dispersal projects, organic fertilizer production program, construction of farm-to-market roads and the rehabilitation and restoration of irrigation systems.

Eleazar said he has already instructed BAR officials to align the Bureau’s priorities with two of the President’s key initiatives: CLEEP and her centerpiece program for agriculture dubbed FIELDS, which stands for Fertilizer, Irrigation, Extension, Loans, Dryer and other postharvest facilities, Seeds and other genetic materials.

Under the “F” component of FIELDS, Eleazar said BAR will promote balanced fertilization through the use of organic fertilizers. Currently, BAR is funding the promotion and on-station trials of bio-organic fertilizers through its Agribusiness Development Programs (ADPs) implemented in 16 Regional Integrated Agricultural Research Centers (RIARCs).

As for FIELDS’ “I” component, Eleazar said he has instructed BAR officials to identify and provide funds for research projects on the development of mariculture parks.

For the “D” and “S” components of FIELDS, he said that BAR will continue to support research projects on postharvest facilities and genetics in addition to the funding of basic and strategic researches based on recurring and emerging issues particularly on traditional and modern biotechnology and integrated pest management.” ### (DA PRESS OFFICE)