STA BARBARA, Pangasinan - In pursuit of Republic Act (RA) 11203 or the Act Liberalizing the Importation, Exportation, and Trading of Rice, specifically its Extension Component, the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center I (ATI-RTC I) conducted its Baseline Survey on Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Extension Services Program (RCEF-RESP) last January 2020 to February 2020.

The survey was intended to establish data and information from Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs) and farmer-beneficiaries consistent with the indicators specified in the RESP Logical Framework. The established data set will serve as the basis for the evaluation of the extension services program. Further, the results of the survey will be utilized as a reference to provide and strengthen extension interventions along with rice farming, specifically for inbred rice.

This year, a total of 401 rice farmers and 20 AEWs from different cities/municipalities were interviewed. The farmer-respondents include 68 from Ilocos Norte, 55 from Ilocos Sur, 55 from La Union, and 223 from Pangasinan.

The baseline survey will pave the way to help rice farmers fully understand the RCEF-RESP program. Moreover, rice farmers will recognize the program’s beneficial tools, which they can use to enhance their quality of farming and to achieve “Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita”.

With this, ATI-RTC I aims to assist the farmers from the transition phase up to the end of the program.