Thanks SM tech, Dagupan City harvested watermelons, honey dews

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – Watermelon and honeydew planters in Pangasinan brace yourselves.  This primarily aqua farming city had harvested recently a bonanza of these palatable crops.

Mr. Chito Macapagal, a board of trustee of SM Foundation, said that the harvest of these fruits and other vegetables happened because of the technology provided by the partner-agriculturist of the Foundation.

BONANZA. Members of the SM Foundation, Harbest Agribusiness Corporation, and some members

 of the 100 trainee-farmers show-off their vegetables and fruit harvest before the members of the

 media who attended recently the Harvest Festival of the Rural Farmers Training Program at 

Barangay Mangin, Dagupan City inked between Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez and the 

SM Foundation. Photo: Mortz C. Ortigoza

“Well, meron tayong kasama dito nag provide sa atin ng technology,” when asked by Northern Watch how did farmers here plant these crops that only grow in the towns of Bani and Mangaldan in Pangasinan.

He cited that not all who go farming need to be a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Agriculture.

“This is to demonstrate ano ang kaya nila. Nag usap sila na ano ang tataniman. Masasayahan kayo kung ano ang resulta ng pagtatanim”.

Macapagal said that the livelihood program provided by SM focuses on the farmers and the three objectives.

“One is food security; two is to make an economic opportunity for them and harness their skills; lastly to teach them some technological activity”.

He said the culmination of the graduation of the 100 farmer-students held at SM City Rosales in Pangasinan was the May 16 harvest festival in Barangay Mangin here.

The partnership between the Foundation and this city’s Mayor Belen T. Fernandez, dubbed as “Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan” farmers’ Training Project” ensued on January 20 at the farm of Kagawad Darwin Aquino at Zone C in Barangay Mangin here that benefited at least 100 farmers.

The SM Foundation’s program executives coordinated with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DWSD), Department of Agriculture (DA) and Harbest Agribusiness Corporation (HAC).

The program provided updated and effective technology to farmers on backyard planting and small-scale farming techniques for fruits and vegetables for an improved quality as well as quantity of their crops. 

John Mark Managan, HAC field instructor, said that the 12 training sessions that were provided in the program included lectures on seed sowing and harvesting using the technology used in Taiwan for 10 different crops in  ‘pinakbet dish’, fruit vegetables, among other crops.

The free training was courtesy of SM Foundation.
 Managan said this city is the 128th benefiary to receive this free service for the farmers starting from 2007.

The field instructor added that the Foundation will also help the farmers market their products at SM Malls during the harvest season.

But Mr. Macapagal said that SM Foundation will help market the crops at the local market here.

Mayor Fernandez welcomes this great opportunity and lauded SM Foundation.