BOHOL – About 23 Local Farmer Technicians (LFTs) from this province together with 2 focal persons for LFTs from the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office- VII attended the five-day Training of Trainers for Local Farm Technicians (Refresher) Batch 1 at Agriculture Training Institute (ATI) Regional Training Center on February 5-9, 2018.
The LFTs program of the DA has taken off in 2012 with the aim of developing a core of qualified and trained rice farmers as partners and active players in the development and promotion of modern rice production and post-production technologies. Thus, ATI-7 being the training arm of the DA initiated the said activity as the agency that has the great role in gearing, refreshing and in providing continuing education and updates to these public servants, the LFTs.
The training which includes participatory discussions, workshops, and group dynamics aims to enhance the capabilities and update the knowledge of the LFTs in the adoption of various rice technologies. It also aims to explain the rice industry in the Philippines, specifically in Region VII; apply the given principles and concept of integrated pest management and palaycheck system; demonstrate the use of Information and Communication Technology tools like Minus One Element Technique application, Rice Crop Manager and Rice doctor; describe the concepts of community seed banking, seed testing and certification to the participants.
Moreover, it aims to establish confidence in presentation, communication and facilitation skills; discuss economic data analysis, crop cutting and farm record keeping; and gathered information on product stewardship. The pool of resource speakers was from the DA-RFO VII and ATI-7, with one from the private sector, while Engr. Jonathan Sumagang as the project officer and Mr. Joseph Lumantao of ATI-7 as support staff.
A pre and post-test was conducted to gauge the participants’ level of understanding. Likewise, an action plan was collected from them after the 5-day session. The trainees were expected to be competent agricultural extension workers who, through the training will teach their co-farmers regarding the new farming technologies.
During the closing ceremony, Mrs. Nida C. Llunido an LFT from Mabini, Bohol said she was grateful to ATI-7 for the opportunity as one of the LFT Trainees. “The training helped me gain more knowledge in farming and now I am equipped to share the technologies to my co-farmers”, she said. Likewise, Dr. Carolyn May O. Daquio, ATI-7 Center Director said that “the average farmer’s age as of to date is 57 years old, the great challenge now is who will feed in the next 10 years if nobody will plant. Thus the importance of the LFT training and the LFTs themselves as they are of great help in assisting the agriculture technicians in their respective municipalities”.