Lantapan launches packaging and bagsakan center

The Municipality of Lantapan, known as the vegetable basket of Bukidnon, recently launched its Municipal Packaging and Bagsakan Center (MPBC). The MPBC Project was implemented in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Central Mindanao University, Department of Trade and Industry—Bukidnon, and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development or PCAARRD.

The project generally aims to cluster the vegetable farmers and capacitate them on proper farm management as well as management of their own bagsakan center. Specifically, it sought to encourage cluster members to adopt production and postharvest protocol to ensure quality and other farm management strategies such as production and delivery scheduling to improve profitability. It also aims to organize an integrated system of support services to nurture and ensure the growth and sustainability of the cluster-managed bagsakan center. In addition, the whole process (process documentation) of project implementation for purposes of future replications will be documented. Moreover, sustainability of project interventions will be ensured.

At the launch, Bayani Santos, Municipal Agriculture Officer of Lantapan, said that the farmers should be taught to practice organic farming to regain the fertility of the soil so that they can produce quality and chemical-free harvest. He emphasized that the farmers were the center of the project to help increase their income, link them with buyers, and teach them the value of volume and quality in packaging and selling of vegetables. RGPadoginog, NOMCARRD S&T Media Service