Milkfish farm owners in La Union, one of the provinces devastated by Tropical Storm 'Maring' in 2021, were aided by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD).
One of those greatly affected were Charito Normington, a beneficiary of the project, “Enhancing the Agri-Aqua Food Value Chain (FVC) through Smart Technologies and Partnerships towards Food Resiliency in the New Normal in Region 1” implemented by the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU). The project is funded and monitored by DOST-PCAARRD.
According to DOST-PCAARRD, milkfish is the second most predominant aquaculture commodity in the Philippines, contributing a significant volume to fish production. In the first half of 2021, Region 1 contributed around 26 percent to the national milkfish production, with Pangasinan and La Union as major producers.
"Specifically, the FVC team aims to improve the productivity, competitiveness, and sustainability of milkfish being produced by the growers of La Union by providing technical support like training and one-on-one mentoring sessions with aquaculture experts to solve the lack of necessary skills and knowledge in cultural and pond management operations," DOST-PCAARRD said.
DOST-PCAARRD stated that the project also conducted quick assessments of the fish farms to evaluate the needs and identify the applicable technologies that can be adopted by the growers to achieve maximum farm efficiency. In addition, they also provided subsidies for inputs like fingerlings, fertilizers, and feeds.
Training on milkfish product development and promotion-related activities are done through the DOST-PCAARRD-DMMMSU Agri-Aqua Technology Business Incubator (ATBI), along with marketing assistance to assist the growers in selling their produce at a fair price.
Normington , a project beneficiary since 2021, owns CMB Fish Farm, covering a total of 13,630 square meters of ponds for milkfish in Ubagan, Sto Tomas, La Union. Her farm was evaluated by DMMMSU while she underwent training and mentorship. It was also ravaged by Maring.
Due to this, the FVC team of DMMMSU started replenishing Normington’s fish farm and the farms of other beneficiaries with milkfish fingerlings early this year to help them recover from the impact of typhoon Maring.
"With these initiatives, the FVC program has been helping fisherfolk attain a sustainable milkfish food value chain in the region through technical and market linkage assistance to milkfish farmers. It also aspires to develop the local communities’ ability to endure, adapt to, and recover from various adversities through S&T interventions," DOST-PCAARRD said.