Field days cap farmers' training in Pangasinan, Philippines

Over 100 farmers graduated from 2 years of training on nutrient management and direct seeding in Pangasinan, Philippines. (Photo by R. Flor)

On 15 and 25 February 2008, IRRC staff attended farmers’ field days in Mangatarem and San Jacinto, Pangasinan, in the Philippines. The field days were organized by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), the Department of Agriculture (DA), and local government units, with support from the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) as part of the IRRC Country Outreach Program (ICOP) in the Philippines. PhilRice has been involved in training these farmers for 2 years on IRRC technologies such as site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) and direct seeding using a drum seeder, and will now monitor these towns to test whether the technologies will be sustainable.

“PhilRice usually collaborates with different LGUs for 2 years only, then slowly disengages,” says Engr. Leo Javier, program leader of the Knowledge Management and Promotion Division of PhilRice. “Hopefully, the municipal agricultural offices will continue and extend these technologies to other barangays.”

Both field days began with a visit to some farmers’ fields. Participants were then asked to choose which rice variety they liked best among several that were planted in one farmer’s field (see photo below).

(Photo by T. Mendoza)

Farmers’ graduation ceremonies after the 2-year training under PhilRice were another highlight in both events. In Mangatarem, 28 farmers received their diplomas. About 75 guests and participants gathered in Barangay CBN, including IRRC communication specialist Trina Mendoza, DA officials, and representatives from the financing nongovernment organization Alalay sa Kaunlaran, Inc. In her message to farmers, Ms. Mendoza said that IRRI and the IRRC will continue to provide technical assistance through PhilRice, sharing the lessons learned from working across 11 Asian countries. She said that the challenge for the IRRC is to continue working with farmers to sustain the use of innovative technologies.

Two weeks later, 62 farmers graduated in Barangay Lobong, San Jacinto. IRRC anthropologist Rica Joy Flor and agricultural engineer Mervin Manalili from the IRRC Water-Saving Work Group attended along with 118 other people. During the farmers’ forum, an interest on aerobic rice as a useful technology for the highland/elevated areas was raised by farmers.

The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist decided to choose six towns in Pangasinan to become field demonstration sites after a lecture by Dr. Mirasol Pampolino of the IRRC Productivity and Sustainability Work Group on SSNM 2 years ago in the town of Sta. Barbara.

Trina Mendoza (t.mendoza@cgiar.org)  

Country Outreach Programs archive