Training the Farmers: Is the trainer competent?

Is it true that most of the extension workers often forget that they are dealing with adult learners?

I was in the middle of talk about Farmers Field School when I asked the question to a group of farmer leaders. I got varied response. I was sad to note that most of the extension workers especially coming from the LGU forgot that they are dealing with adults - not college students.

We cannot blame the LGU technicians at all. Indeed they are technically competent to teach the subject matter and few of them are trained how to communicate effectively using the adult learning principles. Generally speaking, they are hired with Job Order status - appointed by the mayor. Next elections most of them are gone. If these people are trained, I am pretty sure the agriculture sector will surely have a boosts.

The Philippine government have a program on Trainers Qualification (TQ) through TESDA not to mention ATI. I wonder if this was even tapped by our LGUs? I hope so.

Five days past and it was the last day of training. I wrapped the sessions by knowing the participants feedback. I was surprised to hear that they were actually trying to check the speaker & giving me feedback about their experience with the speakers - how the speaker presented their piece as well as how the speaker effectively communicated with them.

Reforestation Conference Conducted Online

Various participants from Davao City and neighboring areas attended the 2 day on-line conference on reforestation at UP-Mindanao, Mintal Davao City last July 15-16, 2010.

According to Dr. Emma Ruth Bayogan,UP-Mindanao Vice Chancellor, it was "...their first time to conduct a two-day long online conference". The two-day activity was conducted at the UP-Dilliman with online participants from UP-Visayas and UP-Mindanao.

The conference was sponsored by Rain Forest Restoration Initiative (RFRI), Environmental Leadership & Training Initiative (ELTI) and University of the Philippines.

The closing activity was graced by Neric Acosta,President Aquino's ally on environmental issues. He talked about the previous administrations and future plans and concerns on environment in line of the conference theme "Mainstreaming native species-basedforest restoration."

Organic Fungicide and Insecticide: Now Out!

“We finally have it here… and its organic!” says Dr. Angelito DeLa Cruz, a plant pathologist, nematologist, and horticulturist based in Davao City who conducted research on organic fungicide and insecticide. Dr. Dela Cruz happily added “The organic fungicide, organic Insecticide, and bio-nematicide after many years of intensive research is now ready for use by farmers.”

One challenge of organic farming in Philippines is on the field of research and development. Few scientists like Dr.dela Cruz, conducted research with private funding. We are hoping that with Sec. Prospero Alcala of the Department of Agriculture, will look into partnership with private sectors who are involved into research.

With the current findings of Dr. dela Cruz, farmers now have an alternative to synthetic farm inputs. This means lower production cost and higher income for farmers. The organic fungicide and insecticides is now out in the market.

Ingredients: A challenge in Organic Agriculture

“It’s hard to do it in large scale farming… I have to look for all required ingredients” says Amad. Amad is a rice farmer who started organic farming in Midsayap, Cotabato. He further commented “If you only have 3-5 hectares it is workable but if you have 25 hectares, I don’t know… I’m mixing synthetic fertilizer again.” I was shocked and little dismayed of what I’ve heard but it could be real.

We accidentally met in at one of the shops at SM Davao. He shared a lot of his experiences, most especially in pest and disease control and we talked for almost 2 hours just standing. As I was listening to him share his predicaments, I thought of Natural Farming (NF) advocates and the new agriculture Sec. Prospero Alcala (as NF practitioner and sponsor of NF bills). I took note of these as one of the challenges in organic or natural farming.

In NF System, farmers can make their own farm inputs using readily available farm waste like coco dust, manure, and other plants materials. Trainings have been conducted nationwide to interested farmers and even institutions like AFP, PNP, etc.

Are we ready to take the challenge? I believe we are. We just need to start in our own backyard. If we don’t have enough resources to make our own inputs, well here’s the good news!

As an alternative, farmers no longer have to make their own organic fertilizer or wait longer periods to process one. There are now products readily available here in Mindanao. They can now directly buy an internationally-certified and Fertilizer & Pest Authority (FPA) approved organic fertilizer here in Mindanao.

What are the advantages of buying instead of making organic inputs? The advantages are:
1. FPA approved. It means it is safe and met the standard
2. Farmers are ensured that its ingredients came from organically grown plant materials.
3. It scientifically tested and proven.
4. Cheap.

5. Less labor.

6. Some offers money back guaranteed.

Organic inputs available now are:

1. NPK

2. Seed treatment

3. Plant growth enhancer

4. Potassium

5. Zinc

6. All purpose spray adjuvant.

Legumes seeds are also available. Price range from P350-500 per kilo only.

Davao City: Should they adopt SALT?

“We are looking what we have” says Leo Avila, the newly appointed OIC of Davao City Agriculture Office. Such statement is in response to need of helping the farmers Paquibato District, Davao City. Recently, Mayor Inday Sarah Duterte, have visited the said area due to malaria outbreak. She saw the need to help the farmers and uplift their lives.

So what is the problem?

The problem in slope land farming is soil degradation due to poor soil conservation measures and rapid soil erosion. Most farmers have neglected soil conservation and therefore farm productivity is reduced resulting to poverty (cylic pattern of poverty). It should be reduced if not completely stopped.

What can we help to the said problem? And what can we offer?

I believe we have the human resource, the expertise, and available technology for a sustainable farming in slope land areas. We can help.

The farmers should be trained how to farm better using “Sloping Agricultural Land Technology” or otherwise known as SALT. SALT was developed at Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center by Rev. Harold Watson, Dr. Warlito Laquihon, and Rev. Rodrigo Calixtro. According to the developers SALT is a “diversified farming system, a package technology on soil conservation and food production and a method of growing field and permanent crops together” that can “provides sufficient food, income for the farmer throughout the year.”

SALT is Simple, Adaptable, Low-cost, and Transferable(SALT) technology. In short SALT is SALT. Its objectives are to control soil erosion, conserve soil fertility, increase production, and restore environment.

I’ve been advocating SALT for almost 20 years now. I can’t help to share this since I am a resident of Davao City. Recently, I was invited by an NGO to share the technology in Maa, Davao. The Governor of Capiz region also has invited us to share the said technology sometime in 2007. I also have shared the same on Vegetables Industry Council in Southern Mindanao (VICSMin) conference here in Davao, as well as to farmers Mindanao-wide through a JBIC funded project here in Mindanao.

Why I am so passionate about it?
Because of the following reasons: 1) I have the desire to help poor slope land farmers, 2) I have the opportunity to observe its humble beginnings at Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center, Kinuskusan, Bansalan, Davao del Sur. 3) I believe that it can help answer the problems in slope land areas. And 4) I can’t forget the experience of doing it with my dad in our sloping farm at Mt. Carmel (learning by doing).

The 10 simple steps of SALT are the following:
1. Make an A-Frame.
2. Locate the Contour lines.
3. Prepare the contour lines.
4. Plant Leguminous Trees and Shrubs.
5. Cultivate the strips alternately until the hedgerows developed.
6. Plant permanent crops once every third strips.
7. Plant early harvestable crops.
8. Trim down hedgerows regularly.
9. Practice crop rotation.
10. Maintain the green terraces.

So, you think Mayor Inday Sarah Duterte should look into this? I do hope so.

For further information please contact us @ (082) 271 4038 or 09208688862.

Recent Calamity in Mindanao

“NCotabato officials declare state of calamity due to flood damage…caused millions worth of damage to crops and infrastructure.” This was the headline on the ABS-CBN News online under the regional dated April 29, 2008. Same headline seen in a Local Newspapers like Sunstar davao today (May 1, 2008).

You will read more of these headlines and devastating damages soon if we continue to cut trees, continues land conversion, and continue to ignore the call to protect our soil.

The call to protect soil erosion decades ago are still the call for today. When I was 6 years old, I remember Rev. Harold Watson and Dr. Warlito Laquihon advocating sustainable agriculture in uplands and urging all to restore the degraded soil by using Sloping Agricultural Land Technology. In 2004, I myself was calling to help prevent soil erosion during the Vegetable Congress sponsored by VICSMin in Davao City. Today, I believe the same call I pose to all Filipinos.

Pardon my words but what recently happened in Cotabato is an effect of ill planning in sustainable land use and continued ignorance in soil conservation and environmental protection. I see hills with more than 40 degrees slope used without any soil erosion control for vegetables, corn and even sugarcane farming. Likewise, uplands in Cotabato, Davao, and Bukidnon, are vastly converted to plantation crops like banana, sugarcane, and pineapple (later will include jathropa) without any soil erosion measures but rather large canals for irrigation and drainage. As a result, we are experiencing flash floods.

It seems we have not learned at all from the tragedy of Leyte to the damages in Cotabato lately. Does our government have interventions or political will to protect damages in uplands and low land areas? Should the agencies like DENR and DA look into this? Should we wait for more damages? What can you do?

I wish to call the attention of all government officials, all agencies concerned, academe, NGOs, civic sector, farmers, friends and you. Let’s not wait for another tragedy and more damages to come, act now.

I wish I could help more by sharing my knowledge in agriculture, for today, I just wrote this article to start the journey of protecting our life. If you think you can make a difference, let join hands and think of a better way. Share this to a friend.

Sustaining Agriculture Productivity - The Mindanao way

"My last harvest is losing...I was not able to buy fertilizer on time. I need additional capital for the next cropping cycle. Can you help me?" said Mang Erning. I asked him "Is there any alternative?" He answered "The cost of fertilizer and pesticide are high. I wont be able to get a good harvest without it."

Every farmers concern is to increase productivity and its concept of increasing productivity is through the use of modern technology that often requires higher inputs such as fertilizer, pesticides, and irrigation.

Nowadays, technologies are being reconsidered as to whether they are the best method for sustainable agriculture since high inputs tends to cause environmental degradation and the risk of using synthetic fertilizer or pesticides to human health. According to an expert from Sri Lanka, Ranjith Senaratne, “modern agriculture, though highly productive, is not sustainable; it demands heavy inputs…which account for a sizable proportion of the cost of production.”

There is an alternative to this problem! We can reduce the cost of production cost by using scientific advances, promising traditional practices and indigenous knowledge such as Natural Farming Technology!

Mang Erning said "Is that so? How do I do that?" I said "better come with me and let visit a farm nearby and let me show you how they do their farm. We visited the Mountain Integrated Development And Stewardship (MIDAS). We met Dr. Warlito A. Laquihon, one of the founders of Sloping Agriculture Land Technology and an advocate of sustainable agriculture. He explained to us the concept of Sustainable Agriculture using available available materials around such as animal manure, herbal plants, leguminous shrubs and fruits.

The use of Indigenous Micro-organism (IMO), Fermented Fruit Juices (FFJ), Fermented Plant Juice (FFJ), and Organic Herbal Nutrient are few of the farm inputs that can be used among array of alternative. I showed mang Erning how to make these and he got the concept! He will used it for his crops as well as animals.

Mang Erning went home happy and satisfied. He said "Thank you for helping me." I said "My pleasure. Please impart this knowledge to your neighbors."

We will be happy to help you too. If you are interested you may contact us at 63.82.303.3502 or 63.920.868.8862