Farmer-scientists to hold summit

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines — The “cream” of the country’s outstanding farmers will meet here on March 30-31.

The activity that will bring them together is the “National Magsasaka-Siyentista (NS) Consultation” to be held at the Splash Mountain Resort Hotel under the auspices of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) under its Techno Gabay Program (TGP).

TGP is PCARRD’s banner program to bring science-based information and technology service to end-users in the agriculture, forestry, and natural resources sectors.

It has four components: Farmers’ Information and Technology Service (FITS; Farmer-Scientist Bureau (FSB) or Magsasaka-Siyentista; information, education, and communication (IEC) strategies; and information and communication technology.

FITS serves as a one-stop service facility to farmers, entrepreneurs, and other clients in a given area. It provides fast access to information and technologies in farms appropriate to the clients’ needs.

As of December 2008, a total of 447 FITS had been established across the country by PCARRD and cooperating agencies.

FSB is composed of outstanding magsasaka-siyentista, who are successful in their use of science and technology-based indigenous technologies.

Specifically, an MS serves as resource person during FITS training, clinics, and seminars; provides technical assistance and hands-on training during cross-visits of other farmers; and farmer-to-farmer advisory services to co-farmers, local government units, cooperatives, and farmer-organizations.

There are now 459 MS across the country, reported PCARRD headed by Executive Director Patricio S. Faylon.

To date, all the 14 PCARRD-coordinated regional R&D consortia have organized their regional MS associations. — Rudy A. Fernandez