LOS ANGELES, Butuan City – More than 300 farmers and agri-enthusiasts joined Caraga Region’s AgriTalk webinar series dubbed as “Agri Ini, Hisgutan Ta!” last October 19-20, 2020 via Zoom.

Topics and speakers during the two-day webinar series were as follows: For Day 1 - Urban Gardening (Bryan Tingas), Community-based Mushroom Production & Processing (Anecita Troza), and Basic Feed Production for Poultry & Livestock (Perlito Montañez). For Day 2 – Hydroponics (Romer Amante), Best Practices on Duck Production (Marvin Jinayon), and Best Practices on Free Chicken (Joie Senadero).

The AgriTalk in 2019 was a face-to-face event mostly held in malls and large spaces. But due to the pandemic this year, Regional Training Centers (RTCs) shifted the program into a remote and online modality. Despite this change and some technical glitches, delivery was still effective and farmers remained positive and receptive to the program.

“Una sa tanan mapasalamaton gyud ko nga nakaapil ko ani nga seminar. Nalipay gyud ko ug dako kay isa ako sa mga nagparticipate niining online agri seminar kay nakabalo gyud ko nga daghan ang akong makat-onan mahitungod sa pagpamuhi ug mga hayop ug pagpananum sa mga gulayon para sa kalamboan usab sa among mga kinabuhi. Hinaot unta nga ang ATI-RTC Caraga naa pay daghan nga mga seminar nga biskan online makaapil pa unta kami,” said Florante Sugian, a farmer from Carrascal, Surigao del Sur. (First of all I am very grateful that I participated in this seminar. I am very happy because I am one of the participants in this online agri seminar because I really know that I will learn a lot about raising animals and planting vegetables for the betterment of our lives. I hope ATI-RTC Caraga will have more seminars online and I hope we can still participate in it)

The registered participants were composed of farmers from the Farmers Information Technology Services (FITS) Centers in Butuan City; Remedios T. Romualdez (RTR), Agusan del Norte (ADN); Buenavista, ADN; Las Nieves, ADN; San Francisco, Agusan del Sur; Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur (SDS); Cantilan, SDS; Carrascal, SDS; Cagwait, SDS; Madrid, SDS; Cagwait, SDS; San Agustin, SDS; and San Jose, Province of Dinagat Islands FITS Center. Aside from the registered participants from the FITS Centers, there was a general audience that viewed the program via Facebook Livestream.

This AgriTalk program was spearheaded by the Information Services Section (ISS) of ATI-RTC 13 and in partnership with the Information Services Division of ATI Central Office, Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation, Agriculture Magazine and Smart Telecommunication.