To equip agricultural extension workers (AEWs) and farmers with skills to increase rice area productivity, the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in MIMAROPA conducted a five-day training on “Productivity Enhancement of Rice Areas” on April 15-19, 2024 at the Ala Amid Bed and Breakfast, Brgy. San Pedro, Puerto Princesa City.
The training covered topics on integrated and diversified farming. It started with a discussion of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in rice production, including their evolution in the Philippines. This was followed by lectures on the rice-based integrated farming system, the palayamanan method, and native pig production.
Also, the participants engaged in knowledge-sharing, where they exchanged best farming practices that could be adopted by farmers in their respective municipalities.
Moreover, hands-on activities, such as seed and seedling tray preparation, grafting, and Urea Molasses Mineral Block processing, provided participants with practical experience in implementing sustainable farming techniques.
One of the outputs of the training was the preparation of re-entry plans in partnership with the Learning Sites for Agriculture to ensure sustainable agricultural practices at the local level.
In his impression, Raymond G. Rodriguez, one of the participants, expressed gratitude to ATI for spearheading the training and emphasized the importance of adopting modern agricultural technologies to support farmers in their community.
The training brought together 21 participants, consisting of 15 AEWs and six (6) farmers from various municipalities in the province.
