Aggie-10 F2C2 taps MisOr farmers to scale up PALAYAMANAN rice farming system

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Consistent with the government’s thrust to strengthen the country’s food system, the Department of Agriculture – Region 10 (Aggie-10) continues to champion innovative farming technology to boost farm productivity.

On September 15-17, the Aggie-10 Farm and Fishery Clustering and Consolidation (F2C2) Program convened rice farmers from Lagonglong town, Misamis Oriental for the scaling up of the PALAYAMANAN farming system for rice clusters.

Members of the Rice Farmers Association of Kauswagan (RIFAK), May-ang Dampil Rice Farmers Association (MADARFA) and Tabok Lagonglong United Rice Farmers Association (TALURFA) were apprised on the concept of farm diversification, intensification and integration as PALAYAMANAN key strategies.

Coined after the words “Palay” and “Kayamanan”, the PALAYAMANAN farming system urged rice farmers to integrate cash crops, livestock, fish, fruits, trees and biomass products to rice farming as means for farmers to diversify their income.

The training particularly espoused rice-duck integrated farming, with James P. Longcob, a renowned rice-duck farmer in the region as resource person. He upskilled the rice farmers on the rice-duck farm management, undercrossing key practices to integrate duck raising in rice production.

Having been a rice farmer for more than a decade, Danilo O. Mesiona, RIFAK president, noted that the PALAYAMAN farming system is advantageous for the rice farmers to mitigate risk of losses.

“Kinahanglan bahinon ang basakan – sa usa ka ektarya magtanom ta og humay, vegetable, ug mamuhi sad ta og hayop. Kay in case ma-failure naa pa kay laing pamaagi nga maka-income ka. Modako sab imong income sa intero kung makaharvest ka tanan sa imong pananom,” he said.

(We need to divide the rice field – in one hectare, we should plant palay, vegetables, and raise animals. In case of failure, you still have a way around to earn income. Your overall income will also increase if you harvest all of your crops.)

He also expressed his interest in rice-duck integrated farming to minimize pest infestation in rice fields and ease the effect of rising prices of farm inputs.

“Willing ko mo-adopt ining integrated rice duck-farming, ug ako sad ni i-open sa among federation kay maayo kini – makaminimize ka na sa fertilizer, tambal, ug unsa pay idapat nimo diha sa imong gitanum, unya makadugang pa sa atong kita,” he furthered.

(I am willing to adopt integrated rice-duck farming, and I would also open this to our federation because it is helpful – you can minimize the use of fertilizer and chemical treatment, and also earn added income.)

To underscore the importance of employing value chain approach in farm clustering, the Aggie-10 F2C2 also capacitated the rice farmers in market linkage and financial management to scale up their farm operations. # (ATT)