Thirty-five (35) farmers and agricultural technicians from the Local Government Units (LGUs) of San Luis, San Francisco, Talacogon, and Bayugan in Agusan del Sur converged for an Adlay Field Day at Del Monte Lowland and Rainfed Research Station (DMLRRS), yesterday,  March 2, 2021.

The Adlay Field Day aims to present the uses, benefits, and production of Adlay – a staple food crop that belongs to the grass family, the same family to which wheat, corn, and rice belong. This is presented to the interested farmers in Agusan del Sur.

Currently, the Municipality of San Luis holds the largest production area in terms of hectares with a cumulative six to nine hectares of Adlay production.

The ceremonial harvest was led by Regional Executive Director Abel James I. Monteagudo, together with DMLRRS Center Chief Catherine Juyno, High-Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) Coordinator Marco Antonio Morido, and Research Division Chief AbelWagas.

According to RED Monteagudo, the field day is a great venue to build linkages with ADS farmers since the production is low but the demand is high in the region.

 “Through this we can encourage them including our agricultural technicians to share the words about the benefits of Adlay since it’s very marketable and good for the health. Since this is also pricey in the market, this can be a good source of income for the farmers,” he said.

“And Adlay also is easy to produce, easy to plant, and is very sturdy and it is very resistant. Hopefully, we can produce more of this in Caraga and even for the entire country,” Monteagudo added.

Aside from the demo farm, products that can be made out from Adlay were also showcased like the AdlayArozCaldo.

Sunday Fegi, who started engaging in Adlay production last year, attested the benefits he got.

“Aside that it decreases or even halt and cure high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, and so many other ailments, we can use this as our snacks just like this ArozCaldo. So I encourage my fellow farmers to give Adlay a try, aside from the fact that it is organic, it is also healthy,” Fegi said.

The Field Day is just one of the efforts of the Research Division to maximize its information dissemination to reach wider farmers and consumers. (Kent Warren H. Fugoso/DA-RAFIS13)