Mr. Romnick Castillo Talde from UPLB-FSTP (facing, in red shirt) did a field demo in corn breeding process. The FSTP Training Program provides farmers direct contact with agricultural experts and scientists such as Mr. Talde who will help them improve their technical and scientific capabilities to grow corn and other crops using appropriate technologies.
ALUBIJID, Misamis Oriental---The current locally produced corn supply in general cannot cope up with the demand resulting to corn importation from neighboring Asian countries. Various reasons include the decreasing area devoted to corn production due to land conversion, to industrial and other uses and shifting production to other crops coupled with increased demand from the livestock sector as feed being tits major user.
To avert such crises, the Farmer Scientist Training Program (FSTP) on its Phase I is an extension program that integrates agricultural research and development that seeks to help poor corn farmers grow multiple crops and livestock in their farms for increased income.
It will also enhance the farmers’ scientific knowledge technologies on corn-based farming system and leadership skills as many of them will be more active in community involvement. Also, the FSTP has also demonstrated the Integrated Research & Development with Extension Programs in partnerships with farmers as the immediate end-users of the technologies.
For this particular training, Mr. Romnick Castillo Talde from UPLB-FSTP did a field demo in corn breeding process as participated in by the 22 corn farmer participants from Alubijid, Misamis Oriental. Corn Focal Person and Training Specialist II Noriel Kris O. Santillan of the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center X (ATI-RTC X) organized and facilitated the said training. The Phase I of the program runs from May 21 to October 19, 2018.
The FSTP Training Program provides farmers direct contact with agricultural experts and scientists who will help them improve their technical and scientific capabilities to grow corn and other crops using appropriate technologies. It aims to strengthen the research and extension capabilities of LGUs and SUCs so that they can render better services to their clientele.
The program is anchored on Executive Order 710 signed by President Gloria M. Arroyo on February 27, 2008 mandating a nationwide adoption of corn-based Farmer-Scientists RDE Training Program for sustainable agricultural development to liberate poor farmers from poverty and hunger through a unified, synchronized and adequate extension delivery system of necessary support services. (with reports from Noriel Kris O. Santillan, Corn Focal Person and Training Specialist-II)