DILIMAN, Quezon City—With the importance of bees in agriculture and food supply, beekeeping expert Edilee Rosales encouraged more Filipinos to engage in this venture during the first free seminar of the Agricultural Training Institute’s (ATI) this year.

Rosales, owner and general manager of Milea Bee Farm, talked about stingless beekeeping in particular, as well as types of honey-producing bees in the Philippines, maintenance of the beehive, and harvesting of honey.

DILIMAN, Quezon City—People from the cities are finding different ways to grow their own food as seen during the Free Seminar on Hydroponics.

In this activity of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), some 250 farmers and farming enthusiasts were introduced to the soilless technique of growing vegetables. They learned the basic concepts of hydroponics, its system components, types, and the management of plants.

DILIMAN, Quezon City—During the latest free seminar of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), Dr. Isagani Catedral of Livegreen International Incorporated underscored the importance of good field planning in achieving a successful vegetable farming venture.

"You should start right by having a master plan–a field lay-out–to avoid losses resulting from poor field planning," he said. He then discussed how a planting program helps provide continuous supply of vegetables to the target market, which should also be based on household and market preference.

DILIMAN, Quezon City—To help Filipinos grow healthy food while caring for the environment, the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) once again conducted a free seminar to share technologies for a successful organic farming venture.

Reden Mark Costales, president and chief executive officer of Costales Nature Farms (CNF), talked about technologies in organic farming including those that they practice in their farm. He stressed that, in organic farming, it is important to fix the soil structure first by using organic fertilizers.

DILIMAN, Quezon City—To help boost the coconut industry in the country, the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) spearheaded a special free seminar on fresh young coconut.

Experts from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) were invited to talk about the health benefits, uses, and investment opportunities for coconut.

DILIMAN, Quezon City—Farmer entrepreneurs and agribusiness enthusiasts are taking the opportunity to gain knowledge on how to expand their ventures through the Agricultural Training Institute’s (ATI) free seminars.

In the Free Seminar on Product Packaging and Labelling, the latest of this series, some 260 individuals from Metro Manila learned various ways on packaging and labelling agricultural products and its importance in terms of marketing.