Age
doesn’t matter in education.
This was proven by Enrica Miramonte, a 78 year old corn
farmer of Esperanza, Agusan del Sur.
Nanay Enrica is one of the 150 farmers who
received their certificates during the
mass graduation of the Farmers Field School (FFS) on Corn Production last July
18, 2013 held in the municipal gymnasium of the said town.
She said that she has to walk more than two kilometers
early morning every Friday for four months to reach the venue of their class.
Nanay Enrica said that from the
training, she learned lot of new
technologies such as the proper way of land preparation, selection of high
yielding seeds, seeding rate and the
proper way of applying fertilizer.
Aside from the FFS mass
graduation, simultaneously held is the culmination of the season-long Training
of Trainers (TOT) on Integrated Pest Management for Corn Production attended by
30 agricultural extension workers (AEWs) including the five barangay extension
workers (BAWs). The event was graced by Esperanza Municipal Mayor Deo
Manpatilan Jr. and other local officials.
Also attending were OIC Provincial
Agriculturist Jessica Unson of Agusan del Sur, Agri-Pinoy Corn Coordinator Abel F. Wagas of
DA RFU 13, and Dr. Nenita Sumile, Center Director of the Agricultural Training
Institute .
The conduct of season – long
TOT on IPM and the FFS on Corn Production are geared towards capacitating both
LGU extension workers and farmers to increase their knowledge and learn new
approaches in corn production.
It is a joint effort of the
DA-RFU-13, ATI and LGUs in responding to the goals of the present
administration to attain food sufficiency and security. (Aurell
P. Arais/RAFID DA CARAGA)
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