Edible landscaping basics were featured for viewers on the latest episode of Kalye Mabunga, a web series initiated by Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) in partnership with the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI).
In this episode, guest expert Bryan Apacionado, of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), talked about the science and art of edible landscaping, including the components of crop production and functional design. Viewers were given some considerations and steps in edible landscaping as the expert gave a walkthrough on UPLB’s edible landscape garden.
Some former trainees of the Agricultural Training Institute’s Young Filipino Farm Leaders Training Program in Japan (YFFLTPJ) are now part of the Agricultural and Fishery Youthpreneurs Council (AFYC), initiated by the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF).
With their agri-fishery experience in the country and in Japan, the young farmers are expected to contribute in building social enterprises as members of the AFYC.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar urges the youth and budding agriculture entrepreneurs (agripreneurs) to actively take part in agriculture and fisheries by availing of several financial and technical assistance offered by the Duterte administration through the Department of Agriculture (DA).
One of which is the “Kapital Access for Young Agripreneurs” or KAYA loan program.
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.
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).
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:
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.
CENTRAL VISAYAS – To increase the farmers’ awareness and knowledge on Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) or Rice Fund, the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center 7 (ATI-RTC 7) conducted an LGU-led RCEF Information Caravan in the region from July 13 to August 20, 2020.
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.
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.
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.
