Chiseled by experience and forged by challenges, the tillers of our soil’s wisdom on agriculture stand as one of the most credible perspectives one should take into consideration. As the ultimate beneficiaries of the Department of Agriculture’s bending over backwards, farmers’ opinions are an indispensable ingredient for the successful delivery of basic agricultural services—one that guides policymaking and the formulation of agricultural interventions.
Subsequent to the culmination of Rice Derby 2025, farmers, in all authenticity, articulated their thoughts and ideas relative to the activity. When asked about the benefits they have reaped during the entire course of the derby, Grace Datuy, Farmer-Cooperator, confidently stated, “𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘱𝘰, 𝘬𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘰, 𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘩𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘢 𝘦𝘬𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵. 𝘛𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘴 𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘪𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘢 𝘱𝘸𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘨 𝘪-𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘺, 𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱, 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘸𝘪𝘯? 𝘛𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘴 𝘬𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘰 𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘸𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘺. 𝘏𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘸𝘦𝘥𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘢 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘰 𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘺.”
[I have learned a lot: proper fertilizer application, including the timing and the exact amount. I have also learned the suitable biofertilizer for our farm and the proper approaches for land preparation, including the best intervention if your crops are infected by diseases. It is not advantageous to heavily rely on chemicals.]
In addition, Domingo Favula, also a farmer cooperator, shared the same view. Mr. Favula claimed, “𝘕𝘨𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘯, 𝘯𝘶𝘯 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘸𝘢 𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘳𝘶𝘢𝘯 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘱𝘢𝘢𝘯𝘰 𝘨𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘵 𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘳. 𝘠𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤, 𝘺𝘶𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘭𝘢. 𝘏𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘯𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘰𝘨 𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘋𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘮𝘪. 𝘠𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘢 𝘍𝘍𝘚 𝘺𝘶𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘢𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘺.”
[With the rice derby, we were taught proper pesticide and fertilizer application. They are promoting organic. We should not burn rice stalks. What we have learned during the Farmer Field School should really be applied.]
This he shared with the commitment to leave behind traditional practices that is diametrically opposed to the objective of garnering higher yields.
Information on sustainable farming practices should be widely disseminated. Farmer-cooperators made a commitment to share best farming practices with their fellow farmers. Johnny Pamaos, 30 years old, farmer-cooperator, committed, said, “𝘔𝘢-𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘣𝘢𝘸-𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘢𝘨𝘪 𝘴𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘱𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘶𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘰𝘥 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘮𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘭𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘮𝘰 𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘣𝘢𝘸 𝘬𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘪 𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘨 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘭𝘰 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘰 𝘶𝘨 𝘴𝘢 𝘪𝘣𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘨-𝘶𝘶𝘮𝘢.”
[I can share what I have learned by showing and following what the FFS taught me. As a farmer, that’s how I learn. I just apply what they have taught us and other farmers.]
Mr. Pamaos underscored the significance of serving as a role model, exhibiting farming practices that are worthy of emulation.
Undoubtedly, Rice Derby 2025 has served its purpose: improving farmers’ competence through knowledge sharing and hands-on experience oriented towards food security.
