LOS ANGELES, Butuan City- The School-on-the-Air Program on Smart Rice Agriculture (SRA) is now launched in the four provinces of Region 13. The said program was launched at the same time first airing in Surigao del Sur on June 15, 2022 via Radyo Bandera Station based in Tandag City. Hosted by Fritzieh C. Trujillo, the assigned Farmcaster and Provincial SOA Coordinator of the province.

In Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur, the program was launched on June 17, 2022 via Hope Radio Station-Butuan City. Agusan del Norte’s Provincial SOA Coordinator Benjie M. Villaruben served as Host of the program handling listeners and SOA enrollees for Agusan de Norte and Sur.

On the other hand, Farmcaster and Provincial SOA Coordinator Angel R. Fazon hosted the SOA program in Surigao del Norte as it launched on June 23, 2022 via Radio Mindanao Network radio station based in Surigao City.

Dubbed as “Mga Bag-ong Teknolohiya sa Pang-humayan”, the SOA-SRA has an overall target enrollees of 2,200 regionwide. This will be airing from June-September this year.

This is along with an aim of helping catalyze agriculture modernization through the massive and sustained education of smallholder farmers and local intermediaries on modern and innovative technologies and approaches to smart rice production. It shall also share cutting-edge technologies and innovative approaches to help maximize rice productivity in medium and low yield provinces through radio, amplifying the limited reach of agricultural extension workers.

The SOA-SRA is funded under the National Rice Program of the Department of Agriculture through the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center (ATI-RTC) 13 as the implementing agency.

This is in coordination and partnership with the Local Government Units through the Provincial and Municipal Agriculture Offices of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur.