In the pursuit of sustainable agriculture, integrated rice–based farming systems have emerged as a beacon of hope for enhancing food security, environmental stewardship, and socio–economic resilience. Consequently, training programs have been conducted to empower farmers and agricultural extension workers (AEWs) with the knowledge and skills needed to adopt sustainable practices.
Rice cultivation faces significant challenges, including excessive water usage, soil degradation, chemical dependency, and greenhouse gas emissions. To address these issues, training programs on sustainable rice–based farming systems were conducted in various rice farming communities in Cordillera, encouraging their widespread adoption among farmers. In the first semester of the current year, this initiative provided training for a total of 161 farmers and Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs), focusing on the following activities: Training on Philippine Good Agricultural Practices (PhilGAP) Standards and Certification for RiceBIS farmers involved 60 cluster members from Alfonso Lista, Ifugao. The training took place from February 26 to 28 in collaboration with PhilRice–Isabela; Training on Sustainable Rice–based Farming Systems was conducted for 36 Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs) from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) from April 1 to 5; A proposal–based training on Rice–based Integrated Farming Systems was held for 30 farmers from Sumadel, Tadian, Mountain Province, from May 28 to 30; and proposal–based training on Integrated Rice, Duck, and Vegetable Farming involved 36 farmers from Tinongdan, Dalupirip, and Bineng, Itogon, Benguet, held from June 18 to 20, 2024.
The focus of these training initiatives is to enhance productivity while promoting resilience against the impacts of climate change. Techniques such as crop diversification, agroforestry, crop rotation, and the integration of improved rice varieties are introduced to mitigate risks and optimize yields. By equipping Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs) and farmers with up–to–date knowledge and tools, these programs enable better management of environmental risks and adaptation to climatic conditions, ultimately improving livelihoods for farming communities
Farmer participants received starter kits including vegetable seeds, layer hens, and ducks, intended to integrate into their farming practices. This initiative aims not only to enhance the farm ecosystem, fostering a better environment for food production, but also to provide additional income for farming families. Excess production can be marketed as an additional source of household income.
This initiative will continue throughout the year and will incorporate ICT–based technologies adapted to current farming practices. The aim is to encourage farmers to utilize these technologies to access information that can help increase their yield.
