Central Philippines State University (CPSU), formerly Negros State College of Agriculture, is located in the hearth of Negros Island. It is 108 km from Bacolod City, Negros Occidental and 97km from Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. CPSU is dubbed as the first agricultural institution in the country after World War II.
Today, aside from the main campus in Kabankalan City, CPSU has nine extension campuses all over Negros Occidental, located in Sipalay, Hinoba-an, Ilog, Candoni, Moises Padilla, San Carlos, Cauayan, Victorias and Hinigaran. It has been attracting students not only from the different towns of Negros but also from neighboring island provinces in Western Visayas Region. Its agricultural programs, constantly drawn clients who wish to acquire appropriate technology and skills for productive, decent and gainful living.
Sincere to its Mission, to “provide quality research, instruction, production and extension programs responsive to the local and global challenges and demands”, CPSU is now producing organic muscovado. It signed MOA with partners from LGUs, Government Agencies, farmers group and civil society organizations for the production, processing and marketing of organic muscovado last November 7, 2017; followed by a ribbon cutting of milling facility located within the campus. The muscovado mill is part of the grant of the Commission on Higher Education Development Fund – National Agriculture and Fishery Education System (HEDF-NAFES). CPSU partners committed financial and technical support as well as supply of sugarcane for the production. The LGU of La Libertad and Ayungon committed 2has and 5has of organic sugarcane respectively to support the muscovado production; CPSU in return, will be deploying 19 students to assists those LGUs in their organic sugarcane production.
CPSU is targeting to produce 500-1,000kg of organic muscovado monthly. It is the first ever academic community who manages the value chain for organic muscovado were: (1) they produce 3-4MT of organic sugarcane within the campus (3.8 the with SRA 99 variety); (2) heart process and packed the muscovado in their own sugar mill; (3) they involved the academic community in marketing the muscovado; and (4) they utilized the by-products of sugarcane and waste from processing i.e., mud press, mill ash, molasses to produce organic fertilizer and concoctions not just for their sugarcane production but for other crops in the campus under the “Green Technology Project”. This endeavor will certainly equip the academic community with competencies, values, and skills vital in promoting organic agriculture and sustainable agrotechnologies.
The University President, Dr. Aladino Moraca, expressed that he wanted CPSU to be the center for innovation and technology among the SUCs. When interviewed during the MOA signing, he stated that “we are bringing the partners to CPSU to collaborate on sustainable agriculture. I want that this university will be the first university to declare organic farming. I want to bring allies with the same hearth and soul with me in promoting sustainable agriculture, organic farming and including biodiversity.”
