The Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center 1 (DA-ATI-RTC1), in collaboration with the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Batac Branch conducted a Training on Farm Machinery, Equipment, and Facilities Operation, Utilization, and Maintenance, held on May 15-16 and concluded on May 30, 2025, at Brgy. Corocor, Bacarra, Ilocos Norte.
In support of the Province-led Agriculture Fishery Extension System (PAFES), the training empowered 27 farmers by equipping them with essential technical knowledge and practical skills. Through a combination of in-depth lectures and hands-on activities, participants learned to operate, troubleshoot, and maintain a range of agricultural equipment, strengthening their capacity for more efficient farm operations.
PhilRice experts served as resource persons, providing instruction on machinery types, functions, and safety protocols. During the hands-on sessions, farmers experienced operating the manual rice seeder, walk-behind transplanter, combine rice harvester, and tractor.
This intervention is expected to contribute in addressing issues related to underutilization and breakdowns of machinery, often due to a lack of user expertise. Specifically, it hopes to reduce repair costs, minimize operational delays, and contribute to a more productive agricultural sector in Ilocos Norte.
