Written by the Web Team
Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija – To help farmers respond to the challenges of achieving rice self-sufficiency in two-years time, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) donated books yesterday to the Farmers’ Information and Technology Services (FITS) centers in municipalities with location-specific technology development sites.
“[As a one-stop information shop on agriculture], FITS is a good partner in bringing our innovations to the rice farmers to increase their knowledge. Filling knowledge gaps in rice farming will enable farmers become more progressive and eventually, help the country achieve rice self-sufficiency,” Ruben B. Miranda, deputy executive director for development said.
Emphasizing the importance of widening the knowledge and enhancing the practices of rice farmers, Miranda encouraged extension workers to regularly update themselves with information on agriculture as they are the government’s front liners in reaching and serving the farmers.
Forty extension workers from Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Aurora received boxes of publications including rice technology bulletins, diagnostic kits, magazines, and books on rice science and technology. Low-cost materials featuring Frequently Asked Questions on rice issues and new technologies and videos on rice production were also included in the package.
Meanwhile, Diadem B. Gonzales, head of the Institute’s Development Communication Division, urged extension workers to share the materials to academicians, students, and general public in their localities to hasten the dissemination of innovations in rice farming.
PhilRice free publications, photos, and videos are also uploaded in www.philrice.weebly.com, the site that integrates other online sites of the Institute. PhilRice products such as Tapuy and other publications can also be ordered through the said website.
