Mariano Marcos
State University

MMSU partners with LGU Sarrat to strengthen agricultural development for farmers

By Frances Batara, Stratcom Correspondent

To promote and extend its agricultural and natural resources, MMSU College of Agriculture, Food, and Sustainable Development (CAFSD) formalized its partnership with the Local Government Unit of Sarrat through a ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) today, August 2, at the Center for Flexible Learning.

The three-year agreement titled, “Revitalizing Community Engagement to Institutionalize Partnerships for the Promotion, Extension, and Deployment of the MMSU-Glut 1 (Improved Honey Corn)” includes conducting training on corn production, value-adding corn products, and literacy in enterprise development, and providing input assistance such as planting materials to the beneficiaries. The project also aims to improve the quality of life of corn farmers in Sarrat, targeting 30 beneficiaries, by adopting improved farming technologies.

MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis underscored the university’s commitment to community development and agricultural advancement. “This partnership with the Municipality of Sarrat reflects our commitment to enhancing the agricultural sector through sharing our sustainable practices and innovative technologies in corn farming we developed at MMSU,” she expressed.

Meanwhile, Sarrat Mayor Remigio Medrano, represented by Ms. Annette Calvelo, expressed his gratitude towards MMSU and emphasized the continuous support of the LGU in fostering growth, agricultural practices, and local enterprises.

Present at the event were Dr. Marilou Lucas, extension director; Atty. Ma. Saniata Marcos, MMSU legal officer; Mr. Esteban Ballesteros, Sarrat Municipal Agriculturist, also represented by Ms. Annette Calvelo; Mr. Rheanie Calaro, barangay chairman of San Andres, represented by Ms. Jamaica Alcom, barangay kagawad; Prof. Raymund Julius Rosales, project and program lead; Prof. Glisten Faith Pascua, CAFSD extension coordinator; Prof. Sean Vidad, department chair of the Department of Agricultural Sciences, along with CAFSD faculty members Ms. Glisten Faith Pascua, Ms. Frances Charlyn Batara, Ms. Luzell Pungtilan, Mr. Reynold Guiang and Mr. Bryan Pungtilan.