Farmer participants are ready to sow the seed of hope as they successfully perform the seednut sowing during their field practicum at St. Rafael Farm, Libas, Banga, Aklan with Mr. Feelmer John Sasis, Acting Senior Agriculturist of PCA, Ms. Mae Joy Cuales, Agriculturist of the same office, Ma Crycel Autencio, Technical Support Staff III of ATI Region 6, and Mr. Ramon Rasco, farm owner.
BANGA, Aklan – ATI Region 6, in partnership with the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), upskills 30 coconut farmer leaders and members from the Province of Antique through Training of Trainers on Coconut Production on April 15-25, 2024, at ATI Training Hall in its endeavor to empower the coconut farming industry in the Region.
This 10-day training aimed to develop a core of coconut specialists among the farmers in the Region who will become ATI’s community partners in implementing the different training and activities under the CFITF.
Ms. Florepe M. Mortalla, OIC-Section Chief of ISS, confers about the privileges of farmer-participants as they take the challenge of bringing the journey to transforming the country’s coconut industry.
Florepe M. Mortalla, OIC-Section Chief of ISS, welcomed the farmer participants. She is delighted to see coconut farmers gathered together for one purpose: to uplift the coconut industry in the Region. She added, “You are not here by chance but by choice. Imagine damo kamo coconut farmers sa Antique pero kamo gid ya ang chosen nga ginpadala sang inyo respective associations and cooperatives. Buot silingon, dako ang pagsalig sang inyo members sa inyo.”
The participants found great value in the diverse topics and workshops conducted during the training. Some of the topics and workshops were as follows:
- Coconut Industry Situation;
- Overview of the Coconut Farmer Industry Development Program (CFIDP);
- RA 8048;
- Extension and Communication Skills;
- Leadership Transformation and Social Preparation;
- The Coconut Physiology, Morphology, and Growth Stages;
- Coconut Varieties and Seednut Selection;
- Coconut Plantation;
- Coconut Pests and Diseases Management;
- Typhoon Damage Assessment Protocol;
- Farm Diversification;
- Harvesting and Post-harvest Operations;
- Good Agricultural Practices on Coconut Certification;
- Economics of Coconut Production;
- Organizing and Registering a Cooperative; and
- Coconut Processing
Mae Joy G. Cuales, Agriculturist from PCA-Antique, educated the farmer-participants about the benefits of seednut selection in coconut production. She pointed out that choosing the right seeds is essential in growing coconut palm plants.
“There are several things to consider while choosing coconut seeds. It would be best to choose high-quality nuts to guarantee that the resultant trees have the needed qualities, such as high production potential and resistance to pests and diseases. The productivity and financial success of the farm are directly impacted by the quality of the seeds used for sowing,” said Ms. Cuales during the field practicum activity at St. Rafael Farm in Libas, Banga, Aklan.
One of the highlights of this ten-day training is brightening up the knowledge gained through micro-teaching. Micro-teaching is designed to promote teaching and active learning, provide the farmers with real-world classroom experience, improve intellectual skills and interaction, introduce farmers to new teaching methods, and boost their confidence in facing clientele.
Mr. Rowen Moscoso, a farmer leader and one of the participants, expresses his gratitude and appreciation during his impression.
Elna R. Sagcelo, farmer leader, topped this batch of trainers. She accentuated that preparation and mastery of the presentation are the key to a successful presentation. On the other hand, Rowen Moscoso, a farmer leader, expressed his gratitude and appreciation during his impression.
“My learning today is worth the time spent away from my family. These learnings include developing my teaching skills through microteaching activities. As a first-timer in the coconut industry, my learning the coconut evolution, structure, nursery establishment, farm planning, etc., opened my mind that there is more in coconut, not only in what we see every day but coconut has at least 53 or more products. Hoping to learn more and more training from ATI soon,” said Mr. Moscoso.
Vianney T. Ojerio, CFIDP Focal person/Project Officer, sealed the training with a congratulatory message. He thanked the farmer-participant for accepting the challenge of transforming the country’s coconut industry. He continued, “You were given all the fruits for this training. Your responsibility is to distribute this learning to your fellow coconut farmers when you return to your respective associations. Please know that we are taking this journey together, and rest assured that ATI will continue to support you. We are one with you on our goal of empowering our coconut farmers and improving the productivity of the agriculture sector. I hope you always include the transformation aspect in your journey.”
ATI Region 6 has already developed a core of coconut specialists among the AEWs that can proficiently discuss various coconut-related topics. Similarly, a pool of coconut specialists from the farmers’ group is vital for efficiently implementing the CFIDP in the Region. To complement the AEWs coconut specialists, farmer-leaders involved in the implementation must also know the various stages, methods, and concepts related to the coconut value chain.
Bright smiles drew in the faces of the coconut farmers as they received their fruits of labor with Mr. Feelmer John Sasis, Acting Senior Agriculturist of PCA -Aklan, and Ms. Ma. Crycel Autencio, Technical Support Staff III of ATI Region 6.
