SINILOAN, Laguna — High-productivity yet low-cost farming summed up the three series of training under the Digital Farmers Program (DFP) deployed in this town as 15 pairs of farmers and their youth counterparts witnessed firsthand the efficiency of using drone technology in rice farming on July 1.
Through the DFP Farm Connect, the drone technology dispersed fertilizers over the 10-hectare rice fields in Brgy. Pandeño within just a few hours. These rice fields belong to participating members from Pangkalahatang Samahan ng mga Magsasaka sa Siniloan (PASAMASI).
Drone technology is not only known for dispersing fertilizers but also seeds and other farm inputs using a farm layout mapping – making it a highly recommended farming technology that cuts costs in labor and time.
Prior to this, DA- Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) CALABARZON held DFP 101 & 102, as well as the recently concluded DFP 103 last June 25-27 which features Smart Agriculture Technologies (SATs) such as Binhing Palay, RCMAS, Leaf Color Chart, e-Damuhan, and Payong PAGASA apps.
PASAMASI was the second farmer association in the region to completely receive the DFP training package after Samahan ng Magsasaka ng Ibabang Talim (SAMIT) of Lucena City.
The said training was facilitated by ATI CALABARZON’s Information Services Section (ISS), aiming to provide technology access to farmers, especially in far-flung areas, enable them to harness technology in pursuit of livelihood, and become ‘future-ready’ farmers.
DFP was a collaborative undertaking of ATI and Smart Communications, Inc.
News by: Archie C. Linsasagin
