Recent News

Shipment of High-Value Crops From Mindanao to Luzon, Visayas Commences

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has partnered with the private sector to assist high-value crop producers in Mindanao with the transportation and marketing of their produce in Luzon and Visayas regions.

The effort aims to facilitate the movement of fruits and help local farmers bring their produce to major markets, provide a stable source of income, and reduce losses in the middle of the ongoing pandemic.

DA Calls For Firm Support to Enact “Coconut Trust Fund” Law

Agriculture Secretary William Dar calls for the strong support on the enactment of a proposed law on the efficient use of the multi-billion peso coconut levy to uplift the livelihood of farmers and sustain the development of the country’s coconut industry.

The DA chief is referring to Senate Bill No.1396, or the “Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act,” recently re-filed by Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food (CAF).

Gov’t Provided Rice Farmers, Consumers PHP100 B in Assistance, Savings

The government has to date provided more than PHP 100 billion in assistance to rice farmers estimated at PHP 34 billion, and PHP 72 billion worth of savings for consumers due to lower rice retail prices.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar said since August 2019, the Duterte administration has provided rice farmers more than PHP 34 billion worth of assistance to rice farmers aimed at increasing their farm productivity and incomes, broken down as:

DA Shares Rice Prod’n Technologies Thru Radio

In an effort to reach as many farmers as possible, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will harness the power of radio into a unified distance learning program on modern rice agriculture, dubbed as “Makabagong Pagsasaka sa Himpapawid.”

On August 27, Agriculture Secretary William Dar received the “Manual of Operations of the School-on-the-Air on Smart Rice Agriculture (SOA-SRA),” that provides step-by-step process, concepts, strategies, and best practices in the conduct of educational radio programs.

ATI RTC 12 participates in TESDA Training Induction Program for FFS

TACURONG CITY- The ATI-RTC 12 through its RCEF Program joined TESDA 12 in the conduct of Training Induction Program (TIP) as part of the requirements before the take-off of Modified Farmer’s Field School in Region 12.

One of the main components under the Rice Extension Services Program (RESP) is the development and implementation of a scholarship program. Through this, rice farmers will be given scholarship slots for the Modified FFS on Modernized Production of High Quality Inbred Rice and Seed Certification, helping them increase
their income and competitiveness.

DA Asks LGUs, Agencies to Include Chicken in Food Packs

Agriculture Secretary William Dar is encouraging local government units (LGUs) and concerned agencies to include chicken in subsidized food packs for distribution to their constituents and clienteles to ease supply glut and stabilize prices of said poultry product.

“The inclusion of fresh chicken in the relief goods would hike the demand and increase the farmgate prices of broilers,” Secretary Dar added.

DA to Implement Short-Gestating Food Prod’n Projects

To ensure an adequate supply of affordable food and provide farmers, fishers, and their families steady income, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will implement short-gestating farm and fishery projects that will help perk up the country’s economy.

“As we continue to confront the COVID-19 pandemic, we will vigorously implement emergency or short-gestating food production projects in partnership with farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs), the private sector, and local government units (LGUs),” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar.

Rice Farmer Incomes, Yields Improve Due to RCEF — Study

RICE farmers’ incomes and yields are rising as a result of programs supported by the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), according to a survey conducted by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).

PhilRice surveyed more than 4,000 RCEF beneficiaries across 55 provinces who harvested an average of 4.14 metric tons (MT) per hectare.

Respondents reported an additional yield of 440 kilograms per hectare were realized after farmers used certified inbred seed distributed by PhilRice under the RCEF program.

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ATI Today

Extension services continue to evolve. With the challenges that extension workers and farmers face, the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) continues to explore various strategies to improve its efforts as the extension and training arm of the Department of Agriculture. In over 30 years, the ATI has celebrated various successes and learned from the lessons during hard times. Nonetheless, we are proud to be standing the test of time through the support of our partners and the clientele themselves. This is the ATI Today, more committed to bring you extension services beyond boundaries.