By Secretary William D. Dar, Department of Agriculture
1. It is my distinct honor and privilege to virtually join you today as we launch the World Bank’s “Transforming Philippine Agriculture: During COVID-19 and Beyond.”
The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), together with the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), joins the nation in observing the Development Policy Research Month (DPRM) this September.
This year’s theme, “Bouncing Back Together: Innovating Governance for the New Normal,” focuses on innovating governance across all sectors of society to steer the country towards renewed growth and dynamism. It also encourages local and national decision-makers to cultivate a strong culture of research and the use of data and evidence in policy-making and planning.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it would push for the digitalization of the country’s agriculture sector under the “new normal” to achieve its goals of reducing poverty and attaining food security.
Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar told the recent 35th United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC35) virtual meeting that it is important to teach farm families to capitalize digital agriculture to increase their productivity and incomes.
With four months remaining in the year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) continues to implement major interventions to ensure adequate, accessible, and affordable food to millions of Filipino households, particularly in Metro Manila and other major consumption centers, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Urban Agriculture Program (UAP) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) continues to expand as more and more institutions forge partnerships to stabilize the supply of food, alleviate poverty, foster social integration, protect the environment through eco-friendly methods and innovate gardening methods.
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).
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.
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