CEBU CITY – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Region VII is preparing the farmers in Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor for the opening of the Smart Agri Tech Central Visayas Hub soon, leading to the rollout of the Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry (SARAI) project in the region, and a pilot production facility for herbs and spices in Cebu.
DOST-7 OIC-Regional Director, Tristan Abando with his Technical Operations Division and the provincial S&T officers of the four provinces in Central Visayas attended the Knowledge Exchange Mission on Project SARAI CeNTRO at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) on August 27 to equip farmers and communities with climate-resilient, science-based Technologies.
The training included Smarter Pest Identification Technology (SPIDTECH); Water Balance-Assisted Irrigation Scheduling System (WAISS); Community-level SARAi-Enhanced Agricultural Monitoring System (CL-SEAMS); SARAI Knowledge Portal, and Banatech, Abando bared.
Abando added that the upcoming SARAI Central Hub serves as the regional platform for localizing and deploying these technologies in partnership with LGUs, SUCs, farmers, and communities.
OIKOS Farm, DOST-7 to establish pilot production for herbs and spices in Sibonga, Cebu
As the SARAI CV Hub develops, a farm in Sibonga, Cebu--OIKOS Orchard and Farm, wants to collaborate with the DOST-7 Innovation Hub Cebu on the research, production, and post-harvest processing of organically grown, pesticide-free herbs and spices, making OIKOS Orchard as the pilot production facility for herbs and spices in Cebu Province.
Bernard Restificar, owner of OIKOS Orchard and Farm expressed his strong desire to establish the herbs and spices pilot project at his farm with his partners from the Cebu Farmers Market Agriculture Cooperative (CFMAC), to ensure scientific quality standards through microbial analysis, chemical testing, and sensory evaluation.
Restificar said that there is a need to optimize post-harvest drying and processing with DOST technical support; develop value-added products such as dried herbs, powders, essential oils, and aromatherapy innovations.
“The pilot facility serves as the training center to empower farmers to build a sustainable and community-driven supply chain. Our initial focus will be on lemongrass, basil, oregano, chili, rosemary, thyme, lavender and banaba with a target supply of assorted herbs per week,” Restificar said.
Dr. Abando on the other hand said that the partnership is not only about farming. It is about transforming Sibonga into the “Herbs and Spices Basket of Cebu”, embedding herbs and spices into the Agri-Eco Tourism Development Master Plan of the municipality.
With this, Sibonga town can become a leading model of how science, technology, and organic farming can uplift communities, empower farmers, and boost eco-tourism, Abando added. (Photos: DOST7/ & MBCNewman)
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