Twenty (20) farmer beneficiaries from the Sta. Clara Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Integrated Development Cooperative (SCARBIDC) in Sta. Clara, Lamitan City participated the five-day training. It was aimed to explain, demonstrate and provide the participants with knowledge and practical skills related to the processing and utilization of coconut by-products such as fiber, fronds, shell, wooed and other cellulosic parts of coconut tree. It was expected that after the training, the participants would be able to earn some skills or crafts in coco by-products processing and would be able to establish an enterprise of producing and selling various coconut by-products.
Two technical resource persons from Timber Utilization Division of the PCA-Zamboanga Research Center handled lectures and demonstrations on the different topics on coir-cement fiberboard; processing of husk, shell, and fronds and fiber for house construction; coconut husk decorticating machine and utilization of coir and peat; and handmade coco-paper production.
All lectures were followed by hands-on exercises, demonstrations, and presentations which were evaluated at the end of each day. Skilled technicians and field workers of the Timber Utilization Division assisted during the practicum on decorticating machine operation and maintenance, baling machine, twining machine, fiberboard production, paper making and coconut fronds furniture and handicrafts.
Basilan PARO II Suwaib S. Ismael imparted the significance of the training and hailed the participants for supporting the DAR programs. Program Beneficiaries Development Chief, Engr. Raymond Lintag, summed up the important points on the values and benefits gained from the said training and other programs for the agrarian reform beneficiaries.
The training was conducted through the Agricultural Enterprise Development (AED) component of the ARCP 2 in Basilan.
Click on photos to enlarge:
Putting fiber in the baling machine.
Baling machine
Finished product used for furniture cushioning.
Twining machine
Pressing fiberboard overnight in the press machine.
Drying the fiberboard (Product is used for walling.)
Making paper products.
Drying paper products.
Furniture making
Novelty items
The participants pose with DAR BDCD Chief Engr. Raymond Lintag together with their outputs.
