From the launching of the “Integrated Organic Farming for Agriculture Extension and Instruction” in Sanchez Mira, Sta Praxedes, and Pamplona last December, a monitoring was conducted by the National Economic and Development Authority 2 (NEDA 2) and the Commission on Audit (COA) resident auditor on April 27, 2012 to observe the progress of the project and witness the harvesting of the pilot farms.

To date, the project is 88% complete and has utilized 68% of the total project cost of PhP 1, 665, 075. The Cagayan State University – Sanchez Mira is implementing the project with a counterpart of PhP 667, 075; mainly facilities, direct materials, and labor.

The farmer beneficiaries were able to grow vegetables and fruits such as cabbage, tomatoes, eggplants, watermelon, pineapples, and squash in their established small farms along with the raising of livestock and poultry particularly goats, hybrid chickens, and peking ducks. A grow-out greenhouse, organic fertilizer composting center, nurseries, sheep production, and apiary were constructed at the CSU Sanchez Mira to support the farmer beneficiaries.

CSU-SM President Dr. Lina M. Garan said that the project has shown consistent development and interest among its beneficiaries to extend their farms. She reported that it had been their second harvesting now and the harvests had significantly contributed in the improvement of the lives of the beneficiaries’ households. She hoped that after its success, the project would be replicated even at the barangay level.