Two projects on enhancing the adaptive capacities of farmers to climate change were launched by PhilRice Los Baños.
A project on Strengthening Resiliency and Enhancing Food Security was launched on 3-4 May in Romblon. This project will assess the knowledge and capacity of rainfed and upland rice-farming communities on climate change. During the course of implementation, it will use a range of participatory planning methodologies, establish demonstration fields, and develop training modules. This project is in partnership with Romblon State University and local government units in the province..
Demonstration of low-cost drip irrigation was conducted in the towns of San Andres and Looc, Romblon with 22 farmers in attendance. PhilRice Scientist Dr. Ricardo F. Orge led the activity. In his presentation, Dr. Orge emphasized that farmers should use locally available materials to save on cost. Expressions of interest and support were extended by farmers on this technology.
Meanwhile, PhilRice Los Baños also launched a Climate Change Resiliency Program for the farmers in the rainfed communities in Mulanay, Quezon on 16 June. This initiative is in partnership with the Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Mulanay Campus and local government units in Quezon and will run for 2 years until 2019. More than 70 participants turned up for the event, mainly coming from local government units, state universities and colleges, and farmers’ organizations.
The project will establish demonstration fields in two villages in Mulanay. Aside from assessing farmers’ capacity to adapt climate-smart farming technologies, results of this initiative will be used to design training modules. Farmer-participants were given seed samples.
