UPLB Research and Extension News

Tayabas, one of Quezon province's agricultural towns, produces prime commodities such as coconut, rice and livestock. The town has now started producing organic vegetables which are gaining niche in the country's markets.

Although organic vegetable farming is steadily gaining popularity in Tayabas, farmers are yet to cash in on this trend because of the difficulty in promoting organically-grown produce in the market. With the establishment of Tayabas Organic Products Center (TOP Center), promotion of these products will be made easy. 

Just recently, the Tayabas Federation of Farmers' Association, Inc.-Organic Vegetable Group (TFFA-OVG) launched the TOP Center last October 14, 2009.  The TOP is located at Barangay San Roque, Tayabas, Quezon.

The products put on sale in the TOP Center include organic vegetables, rice and fruits. Farm inputs like organic fertilizer, fermented foliar spray, botanical pest spray, vegetable seedlings and open pollinated vegetable seeds are also sold. The center also offers services such as training on organic farming, farm tours, study visits, and technical advising to the public.

The launching of TOP Center is a project of the Organic Vegetable Project co-implemented by the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).  The project is spearheaded by the Agricultural Systems Cluster (ASC) of the UPLB-College of Agriculture with Dr. Blesilda M. Calub as project leader and Ms. Myra Atienza-Tenorio as Project Site Coordinator.  This is in collaboration with the Tayabas Federation of Farmers' Association, Inc.- Organic Vegetable Group (TFFA-OVG), and the Office of the Mayor of Tayabas, Quezon.

Dr. Calub  and her project team is now helping put up various organic products centers in the CALABARZON to ensure a market for organic products in the areas and contribute in increasing the profits of farmers and farmers’ groups doing organic agriculture.

Among those who graced the launch were Tayabas Mayor Hon. Dondi Alandy Silang, DTI-Quezon Provincial Director Ms. Marcelina Alcantara, and UPLB Vice-Chancellor for Research and Extension Dr. Enrico P. Supangco. Representatives from the Baras Organic Products Center, the first OPC launched by the UPLB-NEDA  project last July 13 in Rizal, were present.