The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Provincial Training Center of Kalinga started to upskill 100 rice farmers last month in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and various farmers associations in the Cordillera.
The program has different training sites with a 5,000-square meter area to accommodate 25 trainees per batch through face-to-face training on production of quality inbred rice, seed certification, and farm mechanization.
The 100 farmer-trainees came from Cabaritan Rural Development Association located in Tabuk Kalinga; Cagawayan Farmers Association in Pinukpuk, Kalinga; Kinalabas Farmers Association in Sucbot, Pinukpuk, Kalinga; and farmers from Lanna, Tabuk, Kalinga.
The training is conducted once a week, facilitated by the farmer-experts from the Agricultural Training Institute in La Trinidad, Benguet.
PTC Kalinga Information Officer Ruth Bambico said the training aims to raise rice farmers’ productivity, profitability, and global competitiveness.
“Instead of traditional farming, which includes use of carabao for plowing, these farmers are taught modern ways of farming using new technology. These innovations will relieve the burden of farmers who are manually plowing all day and will increase their income,” she said.
The training duration is 17 days and it expected to conclude on Oct. 23. The final batch will start training on Oct. 25. – Press release
April 20, 2024
