SOME 1,900 farmers in Negros Occidental have gained boost through the School-On-Air on Smart Rice Agriculture (SOA-SRA) Technologies program of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
It also contributed to the increase in the rice self-sufficiency level of the province, which currently stands at 87.52 percent.
Aired over DYEZ Aksyon Radyo-Bacolod from June to September 2021, the program seeks to optimize the yield performance and reduce the production expenses of participating farmers.
As a collaborative endeavor of the agency's Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in Western Visayas, Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), and the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental, the SOA-SRA intends to capacitate farmers in resolving the emerging sectoral constraints and making the rice production industry more resilient and competitive.
It is being implemented nationwide.
ATI Regional Training Center-Western Visayas' Nikki Gallego, during the Provincial Mass Graduation and Awarding Program held at Nature's Village in Talisay City on February 17, said there are farmer-graduates from 25 cities and towns in Negros Occidental with the highest number of graduates from Sipalay City, Hinoba-an, and San Carlos City.
Gallego said 32 broadcasted canned and live episodes that are centered on the PalayCheck System, climate-smart agricultural practices, and digital rice production tools.
These were also aimed at sustaining the technical education of smallholder farmers, 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 they are maximizing the use of radio as 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 the ATI, Ogatis said they have seen that there is still a large population of farmers who rely on radio to source out information and updates on agriculture despite the emergence of social media.
"The SOA-SRA is being conducted to augment the limited reach of agricultural extension workers (AEWs)," he said, adding that farmers need to be equipped on how to ensure profitability in rice production despite the unavoidable rise in the cost of fertilizer, fuel and other farm inputs.
The regional agency recommends to farmers subject their crop soil for laboratory 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 told the farmers.
He also urged participants to utilize organic fertilizers such as vermicast and vermi tea, and to refrain from burning rice straws that makes rice lands less productive.
PhilRice-Negros Supervising Science Research Specialist Albert Christian Suñer, for his part, encouraged farmers to properly adopt the PalayCheck System 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 provincial government allotted P220,000 counterpart for the conduct and provision of financial incentives to top-performing SOA-SRA graduates.
Acting Provincial Agriculturist Dina Genzola said that as part of the province's development agenda dubbed "Abanse Negrense," the government supports the conduct of SOA-SRA.
Genzola said it is the provincial government's means to reach farmers in remote areas and deliver the proper technologies they need to learn to attain profitability.
On top of the topics discussed over the radio, AEWs of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) also provided on-field technical support and mentoring to rice farmer-enrollees.
To ascertain the impact of SOA-SRA Technologies on Negrense group, the provincial government created a Search for Outstanding Farmer Graduates based on certain criteria.
These included the number of technologies adopted as manifested in the standing crop - 40 percent; management skills and technical knowledge - 20 percent; learning attitude and pattern of decision making 20 percent; and farm record keeping - 20 percent.
Three top-performing graduates received P35,000 P25,000, and P15,000 cash awards, respectively.
The amount was on top of the P5,000 incentives they received as municipal awardees.
Provincial Outstanding SOA-SRA farmer-graduates are Cornelia Santiana of Barangay Caduha-an in Cadiz City, Leonardo Gubat of Barangay Puey in Sagay City, and Arnulfo Lapastura of Barangay Manlucahoc in 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.
The gasoline-powered engine with a 26-liter tank capacity is used for the precise distribution of seeds, fertilizer, and pesticides.
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 2022, targetting a higher number of enrollees provincewide. (With reports from DA-Western Visayas)