The Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) and the Boholano Agri-Fishery Stakeholders’ sweat that were shed would not go to waste, instead it would add fertility to the Boholano soil that makes the agricultural products to grow fast and have been seen not only in the provincial scene but in the regional level as well.

This came after 11 out of the 23 categories of the Regional Gawad Saka Search for Outstanding Achievers in Agriculture sponsored by the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office (DA-RFO)7 were  harvested by Boholano farmers.

The individual farmer and agri-fishery groups who received their awards during the Regional Gawad Saka Awarding ceremony held in Bay Front Hotel, Cebu City on Oct. 20, 2016 were Junric Ando of Sagbayan as Small Animal Raiser; Jose Polinar of Batuan (as Rice Farmer); Rosita Quipit of Carmen (as Corn Farmer); Mandaug Palayamanan Farmers Partners Association of Calape (Farmers Association); Alex Mandin and Family of Loboc (Farm Family); Bernadino Roluma of Calape (High Value Crop Development Program Farmer); Manuel Kuan of Getafe (Fish Culture category); Municipal Agri-Fishery Council (MAFC) San Miguel of San Miguel (MAFC category);

Kapunungan sa Bol-anong Organikong Mag-uuma (KaBoOM) of Dimiao (Organic Small Farmers Group category); Francisco Manigo of Tubigon (Individual Organic Farmer category); and Mario Silagan of Tubigon (Organic Agri-Extension Worker).

Two farmers from Garcia Hernandez, Bohol also received awards as best farmers who showed high performance in farming even during the El Niño Phenomenon that hit the province.

These Regional Gawad Saka awardees were the Suhid Sa Malampusong Mag-uumang Bol-anon 2015 winners who were the nominees for Bohol in this year’s search in regional level.

The 2016 SUHID awardees would be the nominees for Bohol in next year’s search.

The annual search for best performing farmers or groups of agri-fishery stakeholders held in Cebu City was attended by the farmers, awardees, coordinators, municipal agricultural officers, agricultural technicians and local chief executives in region 7.

The search aims to give recognition to the individual farmer and agri-fishery groups as exemplary in the field of agriculture.

The PGBh under Gov. Edgar M. Chatto has so many interventions given to agriculture as he considered this as one of the economic drivers for Bohol’s development. (Atoy Cosap w/ reports from Helen Q. Igot and Maricel S. Wahing/OPA staff)