BUTUAN CITY. – A total of 71 farmers attended the FSTP Phase III graduation ceremony on November 22, 2022, at ATI-RTC 13, Los Angeles, Butuan City. Specifically, they were composed of 24 graduates from FSTP Phase II and 47 student farmers from the partner Local Government Unit of Esperanza, Agusan del Sur.

It was implemented by the Agricultural Training Institute – Regional Training Center (ATI-RTC) XIII, in partnership with the Farmer-Scientists RDE Training Program of the University of the Philippines, Los Banos, Laguna (UPLB).

FSTP moves for a sustainable farming system and crops and livestock production to increase the farmers' income. It has three phases: Phase I, the values formation, research exposure, and technical empowerment; Phase II, the on-farm experimentation and technology adoption; and Phase III, the farmer-to-farmer technology transfer and adoption.

Moreover, the participants shared their expertise by teaching untrained fellow farmers how to generate and develop farming technologies based on their Phase I and II experiences. They used the Adopt-A-Barangay model, where a team of five (5) Farmer Scientists (FS) taught their fellow farmers.

The Municipal Agriculturist and Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs) in the implementing LGU backed up their journey. Also, support from the experts/scientists from other agencies, such as the FSTP team and ATI, were given.

After this phase, the MAO and the AEWs should organize the farmer-scientists to teach their untrained fellow farmers in the barangays. Farmer scientists shall train their fellow farmers to conduct group experiments, as in Phase I, under the adopt-a-barangay model, where a team of five FS serves as teachers.

The Municipal Mayor, Honorable Deo P. Manpatilan Jr., graced the culmination event. Present also were the Provincial Corn Coordinator Jessamine E. Vea; Aida Diaz, the Agricultural Technologist; and Jovie R. Ego-Ugan, the OIC-Municipal Agriculturist of Esperanza, Agusan del Sur.