DA Opens Farmers’ ‘Water School’

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has opened a "water school" for farmers to teach them on the efficient use of water in crop planning in step with government efforts to conserve this precious resource and mitigate the negative effects of climate change on the farm and fisheries sector.

In a report to DA Secretary Arthur Yap, Dr. Silvino Tejada, executive director of the Bureau of Soils and Water Manage-ment (BSWM), said the project is now being pilot-tested in the municipalities of Pasuquin and Burgos in Ilocos Norte.

The Farmers’ Water School (FWS) is being implemented through the assistance of the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research under its project "Enhancing Agricultural Production by Sustainable Use of Shallow Groundwater.

"This is the first of its kind of training as the Farmers Field School (FFS) Integrated Pest Management/Kasa-kalikasan was put in place as a regular program of DA," Tejada reported.

The season-long FWS officially started last February and ends in June, seeks to impart practical knowledge and skills to farmers on estimating groundwater balance that will serve as their basis for making critical and informed decisions through crop planning.

Agricultural Technicians (ATs), serve as the FWS trainors. To train them for the job, the ATs attended the BSWM-led eight-day Training of Trainers (ToT) held last year at the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) office in Batac City .

The 22 ATs of Ilocos Norte developed a com-prehensive module and visual aids on groundwater resource protection and management translated into the Iluko dialect, with technical assistance from BSWM, Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) and resources persons from the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astro-nomical Services Adminis-tration (PAGASA).

"Using a combination of lectures, fieldwork, and ground dynamics, they could now serve as potential trainers and empower farmers and groundwater users in protecting and managing the resource," Tejada said.
Tejada noted, "there is a great potential the project could be upscaled to cover other municipalities depending on the success of the initial venture in Ilocos Norte." /MP