THE Central Luzon State University (CLSU) and the Tamagawa University in Japan will conduct a five-year research project on sustainable farm management of banana and cacao. 

The research will be implemented under the Development of Novel Disease Management Systems for Banana and Cacao project of the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development.  

In a news release on Friday, JICA Philippines Senior Representative Ohshima Ayumu said the research “will not only support the livelihood of Filipino farmers…(but) will also study environment-friendly and sustainable ways of producing banana and cacao, seen as growth drivers in (the) local agriculture sector.”  

The sites for the research are Cagayan Valley, Bicol, Western Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and Davao.  

Filipino researchers and government officials will also have study visits to other Japanese universities capacity building under the project.  

Aside from the Tamagawa University, other Japanese institutions in support of the project are Mie University, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Nihon University, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Forest Research and Management Organization, Unifrutti Japan Corporation, and Bayer Crop Science KK.  

The JICA said the project will introduce an integrated technology system to help “address major crop diseases in banana and cacao through disease examination, forecasting outbreak, and environment-friendly cultivation methods.” — B.A.D. Añago 

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