Written by the Web Team
PhilRice Los Baños trained 28 National Irrigation Systems staff and agricultural technicians (AT) from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist and Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Unit IV-A on the PalayCheck System at the Ouans Worth Farm and Family Resort, Lucena City, from May 6 to 10.
This is just one of the series of trainings to be conducted under the Agricultural Support Component of the National Irrigation Sector Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (NISRIP).
“The project will focus not only on the rehabilitation and improvement of irrigation facilities but also on institutional development and capacity building of farmers. We are glad to work with the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in improving the farmers’ productivity through appropriate technology” said Lea Abaoag, PhilRice project team lead for administration.
One of the participants, Froilana Pobre, an institutional development officer of NIA, said that “It is my first time to attend a rice-related training. We really need this kind of training as we also work in the field with the farmers.”
Abaoag, who is also the head of the PhilRice Technology Management and Services Division, said that the agricultural support component includes participatory farm demonstrations; seed production; training of irrigators’ association members; and provision of agricultural machineries.
On the other hand, Emelito Buncayo, an AT from the Quezon provincial government, said that after the training of trainers (TOT), he can say that he’s ready to conduct training for farmers in the future.
Meanwhile, PhilRice Los Baños Branch Manager Diego Ramos expressed hope that the partnership with NIA would help the country achieve rice self-sufficiency.
Furthermore, Richard Romanillos, training team lead and PhilRice Los Baños development coordinator, also looked forward to a successful TOT on PalayCheck to be held in Palawan from May 27 to 31.
NISRIP is a loan project between the Philippine government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency with a goal of increasing the yield of rice farmers by at least 1 ton per hectare. The project will cover 45 irrigators’ associations across the country in four years.
