Dimpas Greentigrated Agri-Tourism Farm in Brgy. Caganganan in Banaybanay, Davao Oriental promotes farm tourism in the province, showcasing various technologies on rice, goat, native chicken, and duck.
The 1.4-hectare farm in Davao Oriental is just one of the 13 farm tourism sites in the Philippines supported by the Science for the Convergence of Agriculture and Tourism (SciCAT) program of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD), in collaboration with the University of the Philippines Institute for Small Scale Industries (UP-ISSI).
SciCAT program is the latest technology transfer modality that incorporates the basic concept of farm tourism while showcasing and promoting mature technologies developed through government-funded research projects. The program intends to transform ordinary farms into agri-tourism enterprises that will serve as the community’s primary attraction, creating employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
Established in 2018 and owned by Magsasaka Siyentista Naomi Dimpas, the Dimpas Greentigrated Agri-Tourism Farm features interactive and recreational activities like farm tours, training, catch-cook-pay, and other hands-on activities. SciCAT's involvement in the development of Dimpas Greentigrated Agri-Tourism Farm helped enhance the farm facility, implemented innovative farming techniques, provided value-addition in some of the farm products, provided assistance in farm advertisement and promotion, empowered the farm owner and personnel through trainings on technical know-how and in managing a farm tourism site, and helped increase revenue through the introduction of innovative technologies and processes. Through SciCAT program, the farm forged new farm connections and linkages with public and private organizations.
Dimpas Greentigrated Agri-Tourism Farm is also one of the adopters of DOST-PCAARRD’s ItikPINAS technology. ItikPINAS showed consistent performance in terms of egg production and it provided additional income to the farm. Trainings on ItikPINAS production also paved the way for duck raisers to adopt the technology.
Recently, the DOST-PCAARRD’s Technology Transfer and Promotion Division (TTPD) visited the Dimpas Greentigrated Agri-Tourism Farm and the farm of Ranly Salang. Salang is one of the ItikPINAS’ technology adopters. Through the ItikPINAS production training conducted by USeP and the Department of Agriculture Region XI, Mr. Salang started raising ItikPINAS. From the initial 10 ducklings given to him during the training, he was able to expand his farm to 1,600 heads, and he is currently supplying ItikPINAS eggs to commercial stores and households around Banaybanay and other neighboring cities and municipalities.
As DOST-PCAARRD persists in promoting use of modern technologies among farmers and fisherfolk, the Council continues to venture on various modalities that initiate the transfer of technologies for the betterment of its target beneficiaries. With the SciCAT program, DOST-PCAARRD anticipates that SciCAT will help catalyze the growth of the Philippine farm-tourism industry.