DILIMAN, Quezon City – After shifting gears in response to the ongoing pandemic, the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) is now looking forward to bringing constant innovation beyond new normal in its 35th year.

Through its network of training centers and private extension partners, the Institute will remain at the forefront in the professionalization of the agriculture and fishery sector. This is particularly in strengthening the agriculture career system, education and training on agribusiness management, and youth and women empowerment.

In 2021, the ATI network was able to come up with innovative ways of empowering partners in extension to help Filipino farmers and fishers recover despite the setbacks in the sector in the recent years.

Moreover, thousands of farmers, agri-enthusiasts, and even the general public continued to learn and improve their knowledge and skills in entrepreneurship and farm business management through virtual and blended training programs. Up-to-date strategies in capacity development with the use of modern information and communications technology were utilized.

This year, four central measures were identified to guide policy decisions and implementation of programs among all attached agencies and bureaus of the Department of Agriculture. These include effective fund utilization, proactive planning and implementation, publication of operations manuals, and institutionalization of the food systems approach advocated by the United Nations.

For its part, the Institute seeks to execute better extension strategies this year along the OneDA Reform Agenda of consolidating, modernizing, industrializing, and professionalizing Philippine agriculture.

Highlights of this 35th Founding Anniversary celebration include the launching of ATI’s Operations Manual, ATI webinar series kick-off, and inauguration of the new facility in the ATI-Central Office.

Meanwhile, simultaneous activities will also be held in the ATI Regional Training Centers.

This week-long activity with the theme, “Innovating OneDA Agricultural Extension Strategies Beyond New Normal,” will be held on January 25-28, 2022.