Rice farmers of Cantilan, Surigao del Sur took another step towards digital farming as they embraced agricultural drone technology in fertilizing their rice fields during the Farm Connect: Digital Farmers Program (DFP) held on June 13, 2024.

The DFP Farm Connect aims to connect farm groups and associations with digital agriculture service providers who offer drone technology services for satellite mapping, seed, fertilizer, and pesticide spraying for nutrient and health management of crops.

"We are very grateful for this initiative and opportunity given by the Agricultural Training Institute. As a farmer practitioner, I am encouraging the farmers here to use the technology available today. Let us be the models in being adopters of this drone technology in our farming activities that we may become prime movers of digitalization and modernization not just in our municipality but to our province and in Caraga Region,” said Hon. Mayor Philip A. Pechay during his message in the opening program.

A total of 29 hectares of rice fields were treated with urea with sulfur and ammonium sulfate using the drone services provided by Purino Integrated Farm, a certified Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA) located in Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte which was owned and operated by Jose Alexander Purino.

These fields were owned by members of farmer associations and Barangay Agricultural Workers (BAWs) in the barangays of Buntalid, Palasao, and Parang who were completers of the Farm Learn: DFP Phase 1 and 2.

During the one-day activity, ATI Caraga Information Services Section Chief Jason Paul Dads E. Jampac, OIC-Municipal Agriculturist Cherry R. Salazar, farmer association members, representatives, and members of the 4H Club Cantilan were present.

Further, the said program is implemented in partnership with Smart Communications.