TO ensure food availability and sustain production, the Department of Agriculture's (DA) Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) Baguio continues to promote urban agriculture through the distribution of free vegetable seeds and planting materials.

Training is being conducted to update and enhance the knowledge and skills of urban gardeners and those interested in vegetable production through capacity building.

Divina Jose, BPI Baguio training coordinator, explained the agency encourages households to grow in their backyards to produce fresh and healthy food for their family.

BPI Baguio recently conducted a training on organic vegetable production, which discussed activities concerning urban gardening and the importance of seed production and sharing.

Gardeners are encouraged to produce fresh vegetables and save seeds. Vegetables are usually grown in backyards for fresh produce that includes cabbage, beans, garden peas, radish, lettuce and tomato. Some lowland vegetables like okra, eggplant, and bottle ground can also be grown.

At present, BPI-Baguio has collections of different varieties of beans, garden peas, potatoes, among others, which are research products and can further be multiplied for future use.

Organic farming refers to ecologically-based production systems in producing food and fiber. Organic farmers use ecological management strategies to improve soil fertility, prevent erosion, promote biological diversity, and manage pests.

Urban gardener and seed producer Carolina Fanged said before being a full-time urban organic farmer and seed producer, she underwent the process of gathering appropriate information on organic farming and seed propagation.