The Department of Agriculture has plans to modernize the agricultural industry of the country. To do that, focus is given on digital agriculture as a means for farmers to make sound decisions in the production and marketing of their products. Digital agriculture opens various opportunities for the farmers.
To aid in this goal, ATI RTC 8 conducted 3 batches of the Training of Trainers for the Digital Agriculture Course for RCEF (DAC4RCEF) for farm school trainers of RCEF in preparation for their farmer-level conduct of the DAC.
Participants went over the DAC4RCEF toolkit, modules, and other resources to better understand the course. Afterwards, a simulation of different in-training scenarios was conducted so participants can easily share strategies and techniques in delivering the topics.
Issues were also discussed during the different batches. Unstable internet connectivity in different areas of the region and availability of cellphones among farmers came out as two of the top issues in promoting digital agriculture. However, participants agreed that learning how to use the smartphone and navigating social media platforms can indeed help farmers market their products even better.
Maria Luisa Lor, participant from Batch 3, shared that she felt the need for farmers to go digital. She acknowledged the fact that there is a lack of manpower among LGUs hence farms are not visited often. To answer this problem, the availability of digital agri apps allows the farmer to readily get answers to his question.
Ms. Joyce B. Villanueva, an ALDE Farm Trainer during Batch 1, expressed her appreciation for the DAC as she said that digitalization is not just for young people but also for senior farmers. She mentioned, “It is our duty and responsibility to share these since we are more knowledgeable about these things. Our senior farmers already did their part in sharing their experiences and expertise. Through this DAC, it gave me a responsibility to share new technologies with senior farmers.”
The 3 batches of Center-based DAC4RCEF were conducted on April 11-13, May 17-19, and May 31-June 2, 2023 at with a total of 65 participants.
