Training on sweet corn production to boost agri growth - Villar

Senator Cynthia A. Villar said training on sweet corn production will boost the income of our farmers and will further develop the agriculture sector and pave the way for inclusive growth.

In her remarks during the opening of the training held at Villar SIPAG Farm in Las Piñas City, Villar said she would like to personally bridge the gap that would enable Filipino farmers and agri-related industry players to be more competitive and successful.

She said the gap involves the lack of technical expertise and knowhow in mechanization which are being provided in the training given for free by Villar SIPAG.

As chair of the Senate Agriculture and Food committee, Villar assured to provide continuous training and education to farmers, fisherfolks and their families as well as residents of agricultural communities all over the country.

"We have conducted a number of training programs with other institutional partners and various agencies under the Department of Agriculture," she said.

"And over 500 farming beneficiaries from various parts of Metro Manila and CALABARZON graduated from the training," she added.

She told the participants in the recently-concluded corn training that they were very lucky because the Villar SIPAG's partner for this particular program is Syngenta.

The senator said Syngenta is not only an expert in the Philippines, but also in other countries.

"Syngenta helps growers around the world farm more productively with a broad range of innovative products. They can teach you first hand their innovations and techniques," she said.

"And as Syngenta cited on its website, corn is one of the most productive crops: plant one seed and you get over 500 kernels in return," she further stated.

She likewise said they have started the Farm Business School (FBS) modules wherein 37 farmers from Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Quezon) municipalities will complete a training to help them operate family farms.