A review and evaluation of the Horticulture Program on Fruits and Vegetables was conducted recently in a two–day annual meeting.
The program is a joint undertaking of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) with the collaboration of other agencies.
Held at the Quest Hotel and Conference Centre in Cebu City, the meeting was attended by DOST-PCAARRD delegates led by Acting Executive Director Reynaldo V. Ebora, together with more than 60 project proponents, experts, and program managers.
The participants were from DOST-PCAARRD; ACIAR; University of the Philippines Los Baños; University of the Philippines Mindanao; Visayas State University; University of Southeastern Philippines; University of Southern Mindanao; Southern Philippines Agribusiness, Marine and Aquatic School of Technology; Landcare Foundation of the Philippines, Inc.; the University of Queensland; and the Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
The project leaders presented the projects’ accomplishments, status, initial findings, limitations, and challenges to a panel of evaluators from ACIAR and DOST-PCAARRD.
The monitoring and evaluation process was also revised and enhanced during the meeting.
With its eight component projects covering selected fruits and vegetables, the Horticulture Program is an effort to improve technologies and practices from the farm level up to retail. It is comprised of studies funded by ACIAR with emphasis on soil and nutrient management strategies, integrated crop management for mangoes and vegetables, disease management for papaya and banana, and studies on tropical fruits, postharvest management, and value chain analysis.
The Program also includes two projects solely funded by DOST-PCAARRD. One of these projects is exploring the viability of aeroponics technology, a soilless method of growing white potato seeds while the other is identifying the major vegetable pests and diseases in Eastern Visayas and how these diseases are transmitted.
These projects are expected to contribute in improving food security and livelihoods of smallholder farmers in focused areas of Visayas and Mindanao by reducing production costs, increasing yield, and providing better alternatives to current management practices.