Important pointers from speakers

Felicidad Justiniana

Why agri-extensionists?
 Limited technical support to farmers
 Government agencies have limited number of individual workers
 Farmer to farmer extension

- The training is free but attendees have the moral obligation of sharing what has been learned in
the training to other farmers
- The training will not end in three days or even in a short period of time. Learning is a continuous
process.

The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI)

- ISO Certified
- Training arm of DA
- It harmonizes the delivery of extension activities in the agriculture sector
- Links all sectors in agriculture and fisheries

Service delivery modes:

- School on air
- Electronic learning modules
- Online training courses

ATIs extension framework

 6 program areas all geared towards improving knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSA) of farmers
and fishers
 capability building of human resources toward food security, ensuring sustainable agriculture
and fishery sectors

Program 1 - ACCESS TO AGRICULTURE AND FISHERY EXTENSION (AFE) (KNOWLEDGE, PRODUCTS &
SERVICES)

- Ensure quality of knowledge products developed, widely disseminated and adopted

- e-extension (more than 55 courses), e-farming, e-training, e-trading, techno-gabay program, rice
crop manager (RCM), knowledge management program – IEC

Program 2 - STRENTHENING COMPETETIVE & CAPACITIES OF THE AF SECTORS

 Commodity-based (Livestock, Organic agriculture)

 Good agricultural practices
 Marketing
 Value chain
 Extension delivery services trainings
 Farmer Field schools
 Gender and development
 Trainings for vulnerable sectors
 Scholarships, Youth Development

Program 3 – EXPANDING PARTNERSHIP

 Extension delivery system – LGUs, SUCs etc

Program 4 – SCALING UP

 Identification and development of learning sites

 Identification and development of farmer field school sites
 Establishment of Farm Tourism Model Farms Through big brother/small brother concept

Program 5 – STRENGTHENING AFE STAKEHOLDERS CAPACITY IN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND

READINESS
Promotion of
 Climate smart technologies
 Enhanced farmers field schools
 Climate smart livestock production technologies
 Urban gardening

Program 5 – GOVERNANCE
 Policy research, program evaluation

Training schedules

Mr. Gil
National Awardee

Farmer to farmer extensionist – Sharing of experience

Best practices
 Let machines work for us – Technology Adoption
 Credibility is important – Loans are granted based on credibility of farmers
 Use of Gadgets and Apps – allowing for a good choice of variety and adoption of good
agricultural practices. (e-damohan – biological control, rice expert, rice doctor)
 Be updated with new technologies, be open to innovations, use social media, use soil
conditioner, use foliar, plant nutrition enhancers, etc.
 Problems are opportunities for innovation – When problems arise, try to resolve it through
innovation, find a solution yourself – example paddy weeder, tractor as lifter
 Help is just around the corner – waiting to be tapped
 Network is important – (farmer-producer and Farmer-buyer
 Be a researcher

Facilitating factors
  Agricultural Field Technicians. Farmers must listen to their advice
 Do a research on the suggested technology. Once found to be applicable, use/apply it
 Loans/financing from creditors with flexible terms (e.g. lower payments during production
period and higher payments during harvest period

Challenges
 Some farmers are resisting new technologies
 Uninformed decisions (e.g. choosing a variety not appropriate to the season may result to very
low yield or even losses)
 Lesser interest on trainings being provided/offered by the government

James A Felomino

The Extension Worker

 Extension work is like courtship or “Panliligaw”
 Extensionist as an educator, must be trustworthy
 Doing extension activity is a sharing exercise
 Purpose is to improve socio-economic conditions of local residents
 Transfer of technology – technology to be transferred must be mature and was a product of an
extensive research
 Assist clients come up with sound decisions, not decisions based on hearsays
 Social support system – encouraging companions to accept new technologies, and guide them
through
 Allow people to decide for themselves – this is to avoid blaming
 Extension workers must be flexible, never engage in heated discussions. Work with the client,
not for them.
 Farmers may offer something as a form of gratitude, maybe accepted but do not encouraged
 Extensionists must have good linkages
 Extension is a two-way information exchange, and works with different target groups in the
community (youth, women, the elderly)

Skills and knowledge needed by an extension worker

 Need to have a sound knowledge of the process of agricultural production
 Sound management of farm management and economics
 Good communication skills
 Skills in the operation of basic farm equipment machinery
 Good public relations

Roles/function/personal qualities
 Initiator of change
 Source of knowledge and innovation
 Special teacher
 Organizer and coordinator
 Researcher
 All-purpose person
  Acts as catalyst

Extension workers should have:

 Credibility and confidence with an open mind
 EW does not hold the ultimate key to development (there are factors affecting it)
 Listen, observe, say a little
 Respect the rhythm of the farm families
 Get to know the conditions of the farmers before introducing new concepts
 See things from their eyes
 Make the welfare of the farm family your center of interest
 Recognize the reason for use of the existing technique. Find out what the farmers know better
than you
 Help to solve problems without imposing your own opinions
 Recognize farmers as independent and experienced partners
 Do not make contradictory advise
 Aim for professional competence
 Discuss the innovations with them
 Plan and asses together with those who are involved

Challenges
 Resistance due to fear of failure
 Gradual introduction is good, seems to be easier for farmer to get into accepting new
technology
 Finding a champion for a cause (adoption of a new technology) is an easy way to get into the
community and encourage them to adopt the technology
 Extension work is a lifetime commitment

Romeo PIDOC

Best practice
1. Choosing the right certified seeds variety
2. Land preparation – good land preparation saves water, allows even growth and easier
management of pests and weeds
3. Synchronized planting
 Use transplanter
4. Nutrients management
5. Water supply management
6. Pest Management

Best practice
 Mag ISA. Manghuli ng mga insekto sa umaga upang pmalaman kung alin ang mas marami –
kalaban o kaibigan na peste
 Check the farm early in the morning and late in the afternoon
 Administration of pest/disease control chemicals must be based on the result of a thorough
inspection of the farms, the kinds of pests and diseases
  Synchronous monitoring, synchronous spraying
 Don’t spray if there are leaves eaten by pests, cutting them is better, no effect on grains
 Maximize the use of spaces. Plant taro (gabi) in between paddies. Leave enough vacant space
for walking around the paddy.

Day 2

Vicky Purisima of VK’s Farm in Tigaon Camarines Sur (Outstanding Organic Farmer)

Best practices
 Product quality consistency - Was able to secure contracts with buyers of farm produce. Tapped
local organic farmers to produce more.
 Practices synchronized production of certain farm commodities, allowing for a bigger production
volume and enabling her group to command a better price for their produce.
 Organized farmers within the area
 Persevere. Fetching water from a distant church proves to be a challenge but prositive outlook
and attitude helped her through
 Being vocal is helpful. Talk to key government officials for assistance.
 Adoption of appropriate farm technologies make farms more efficient and productive
 Receive/accept visitors to the farm. Helps its promotion and further development.
 Encourage other farmers to visit and learn from your farm, easier to teach them by showing
them real results
 Encourage farm trainees (OJTs) from senior high school and even college students. They are also
at the receiving end of the technologies and good practices. They are good partners for farm
development
 Use financial rewards and incentives to further improve the farm.

Challenges
 For starters, the difficulty in balancing the need of the family and in sustaining organic farm
production
 Natural calamities (climate change, typhoons, floods, draught, etc)
 Poor or limited government technical and financial support. Resources are difficult to access
 Government agencies taking advantage of situation.
 Partisan politics.

Farmer to Farmer extension

MBO-based extension
Innovations, application of innovations

Extension Service Plan (per MBO)

Objectives Strategies Activities Logistical Implementation Person

and Schedule Incharge
Budgetary
Requirement

Extension service design

I. Title of Extension Project (Pamagat)

II. Rationale (Mga dahilan)
III. Objectives (Mga Layunin)
IV. Implementation plan (Paraan ng pagsasagawa at Kailan)
V. Logistical and budgetary Requirement (Mga kakailanganin at Magkano)