The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), in collaboration with other government agencies, equipped farmers in Agusan with the skills to boost the value of their tilapia production.

A two-day training event on “Tilapia Processing and Value-Added Products” was held at the Agusan State College of Agriculture and Technology Center for Agri-food Processing and Innovation.

The participants were members of the Nagkahiusang Mag-uuma alang sa Kalambuang Repormang Agraryo Inc.

Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Engr. Loida L. Jones said the training focused on processing various tilapia by-products, including daing (dried fish), lamayo (semi-dried fish), nuggets, fillets, embotido (meatloaf), and chicharon (deep-fried pork rinds made with fish skin).

The cooperative members also learned proper pricing and costing techniques.

“The technology aims to improve the cooperative members’ existing fish processing practices and equip them with knowledge on right pricing and costing,” Jones said.

She explained that the activity falls under the Enterprise Development and Economic Support program’s new product development initiative. The program provides hands-on training and shares knowledge on the latest post-harvest technologies for fish processing associations.

“This is also a way to address post-harvest losses due to overproduction of farmers’ products,” Jones added.