The School-On-Air (SOA) on Smart Rice Agriculture (SOA-SRA) Technologies aired over DYEZ Aksyon Radyo from June to September last year seeks to optimize the yield performance and reduce the production expenses of some 1,900 participating farmers, and to raise the rice self-sufficiency level of Negros Occidental, which currently stands at 87.52 percent.
As a collaborative endeavor of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), DA Western Visayas, Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), and the provincial government, the SOA-SRA, which is being implemented nationwide, intends to capacitate farmers in resolving the emerging sectoral constraints and making the rice production industry more resilient and competitive.
“We have farmer-graduates from 25 cities and towns here in Negros Occidental with the highest number of graduates from Sipalay City, Hinoba-an, and San Carlos City,” said Nikki Gallego of ATI Regional Training Center 6 during the Provincial Mass Graduation and Awarding Program held on Feb. 17 at Natures’ Village in Talisay City.
Gallego said that 32 canned and live episodes broadcasted primarily centered on the PalayCheck System, climate-smart agricultural practices, and digital rice production tools aimed at sustaining smallholder farmers’ technical education, particularly in locations with not more than four metric tons per hectare average yield.
Meanwhile, DA Western Visayas’ Regional Information Officer James Earl Ogatis said, “We are maximizing the use of radio as our aid in reaching out and transferring necessary technical know-how to farmers in far-flung locations as part of the agency’s extension service. With ATI, we have seen that there is still a large population of farmers who rely on radio to source out info and updates on agriculture despite the fast proliferation of social media.”
He likewise mentioned that the SOA-SRA is being conducted to augment the limited reach of agricultural extension workers (AEWs). He added that farmers need to be equipped to ensure profitability in rice production despite the inevitable rise in the cost of fertilizer, fuel, and other farm inputs.
“DA recommends to farmers to subject their crop soil for lab analysis to determine the inputs required for efficient fertilizer application. Our soil analysis is for free. Coordinate with your respective local agriculture office to avail of the service at the Regional Soils Laboratory in Iloilo City,” Ogatis said.
He also urged attendees to utilize organic fertilizers such as vermicast and vermi tea and to refrain from burning rice straws that make rice lands less productive.
PhilRice Negros Supervising Science Research Specialist Albert Christian Suñer encouraged farmers to adopt the PalayCheck System properly and recommended rice production techniques to translate the soaring price of farm inputs into an increase in the rice production volume and yield.
Meanwhile, the Negros Occidental provincial government had allotted P220,000 counterpart to conduct and provide financial incentives to top-performing SOA-SRA graduates.
To ascertain the impact of SOA-SRA Technologies on the Negrense group, the provincial government created a Search for Outstanding Farmer Graduates based on the number of technologies adopted as manifested in the standing crop (40%), management skills and technical knowledge (20%), learning attitude and pattern of decision making (20%), and farm record keeping (20%). Three top-performing graduates received P35,000; P25,000; and P15,000 cash awards, respectively, on top of the P5,000.00 incentives they received as the municipal awardees.
Here are the three Provincial Outstanding SOA-SRA farmer-graduates:
- Cornelia Santiana of Brgy. Caduha-an, Cadiz City
- Leonardo Gubat of Brgy. Puey, Sagay City
- Arnulfo Lapastura of Brgy. Manlucahoc, Sipalay City
Moreover, the Aluyan Caduha-an Farmers Association in Cadiz City and Manara Puey Irrigators’ Association in Sagay City received granular applicators from the DA Western Visayas’ Rice Program. This gasoline-powered engine with a 26-liter tank capacity is used to distribute seeds, fertilizer, and pesticides precisely.
The first season of SOA-SRA in Negros Occidental was facilitated and anchored by provincial coordinator, Dr. Mary Ann Ordinario, and provincial farmcaster Lucilla Perartilla. Another season is set to begin in May this year, targeting more enrollees provincewide./WDJ