LEGAZPI CITY—A group of agrarian-reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Catanduanes is now a proud batch of graduates of the first organic Farmers’ Field School (FFS) organized in the province by the regional office for Bicol here of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).
The batch has 32 members who successfully completed the season-long course recently, and now distributed among various agrarian-reform communities (ARCs) in the island-province to showcase to their peers the “miracles” of organic farming based on what they learned from the FFS, DAR-Bicol Regional Director Luis Bueno Jr. on Wednesday said.
The FFS, which focuses on technology transfer through a combination of lectures and actual field demonstrations on what have been previously discussed in the classroom, is where farmers are given a chance to have new field experiences.
It is a group-based learning process where the participants are given on-hand learning activities that grant them awareness on a variety of environmental-friendly farming innovations.
The training program also equips farmers with the technology as a measure to further increase local production, as it includes pests and diseases prevention, appropriate fertilizer application and water management, that contribute immensely to a more efficient and improved plant growth to attain high yield.
It is a three-month training program composed of 16 sessions starting from planting until the time that the crop would be ready to be harvested.
After completing the program that provides them knowledge on proven agricultural practices based on organic system, Bueno said, it is expected that these ARBs would be able to increase their production out of their learning on crop protection and organic fertilizer, and pesticide applications provided by experts from the DA’s Agricultural Training Institute (ATI).
DAR-Bicol has earlier forged a partnership with the DA regional office based in Pili, Camarines Sur, and ATI toward providing Bicolano ARBs with knowledge in organic-crop production.
After graduation from the FFS, these graduates were given by the DAR vegetable, rice and corn seeds to start with their farm and backyard-crop production.
Expenses of the training program are being shouldered by the DAR under its Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services (ARCCESS), according to Bueno.
ARCCESS is a program under the administration of President Aquino that aims to transform ARBs into viable entrepreneurs by providing them with support services to enhance their farming capabilities and increase their income.