Published March 25, 2025 by Campus Information Office
Dr. Froilan A. Pacris, Jr., along with study leaders, Ms. Myraly L. Marcos and Dr. Jayrome S. Butay, reported the progress of their project under the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) Technology Commercialization of the Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) on March 19, 2025, via Google Meet.
The project, titled Increasing Availability of Quality Planting Materials of Selected Horticultural Crops through Tissue Culture Propagation in Cagayan Valley, aims to enhance the supply of quality planting materials through advanced propagation techniques.
The project, which runs from July 2024 to January of 2026, has achieved significant milestones from its inception until February 26, 2025. During the review, the team provided updates on the project's accomplishments and outlined future directions to ensure its success.
The distinguished panel of evaluators who assessed the progress include, Dr. Dinah Pura T. Depositario and Dr. Normito R. Zapata Jr. from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Dr. Ruth C. Diego from Benguet State University (BSU), and representatives from the DA-BAR PDD-TMS.
The discussion highlighted key achievements and identified critical steps moving forward:
1. Securing BPI accreditation for Farmers’ Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs) and campus nurseries;
2. Expanding mass propagation of meriplants to meet targets by January 2026;
3. Providing market assistance to FCAs;
4. Strengthening linkages with other FCAs, Local Government Units (LGUs), and private sectors for technology promotion and marketing;
5. Implementing an Income-Generating Project (IGP) for the campus to support the expansion of operations.