BRGY. LOS ANGELES, Butuan City - Thirty farmers and land renters of the Caraga State University (CSU) attended the Training in Support to the Installation of Internal Control System (ICS) for Smallholder Groups at the ATI Training Complex, Los Angeles, Butuan City from June 11-15, 2018.

These farmers are practicing organic agriculture and in order to prepare them for a certification in marketing organic products, they need to install the ICS. It will bring about improved product quality, readily accessible technical advice, information exchange, stimulation of local development, active participation of producers in the global organic market, environmentally safe and sustainable production, and develop good management practices.

Given the rigid requirements in installing ICS for smallholder groups, ATI has seen the need for assistance in this aspect thus the conduct of the said training. Specifically, at the end of the training, the participants shall be able to train the ICS personnel how to administer the quality assurance tools and readiness for the certification; prepare the grower groups in the requirements for certification criteria; identify challenges and recommendations toward the implementation of ICS; and formulate a plan of action.

“Importante gyud kaayo kini nga pagbansay-bansay para kanamo nga mga mag-uuma sa CSU tungod kay requirement man kini sa among pagpa-accredit sa NICERT. Ang usa sa gikuhaan namo ug pagtuon sa training mao ang mga nagkalain-laing mga protocol nga gikinanghalan gyung sundon sa among mga miyembro. Makatabang kini dili lang sa pagkuha sa accreditation pero alang usab nga mutaas ang presyo sa among palay kay 50 ektarya raba ang among gipa-acceditan. (This training is very important for us farmers of CSU because this is a requirement to get the accreditation from the Negros Island Organic Certification Services (NICERT). Issues we took up in this training are the protocols that need to be followed by our members. This will help not only in obtaining the accreditation but will also increase the price of our rice especially that we are applying a total of 50 hectares for accreditation),” said Epifania Antoquia, former President of the Antongalon Farmers Association in Caraga Inc. (AFACI) and current Brgy. Captain of Antongalon.