MAGUINDANAO DEL SUR – In line with the celebration of National Rice Awareness Month, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform – Research Development and Extension Services (MAFAR-RDE) conducted the Rice Harvest Festival in Barangay Layog, Pagalungan on November 28, 2024.
Chief of the Research Development and Extension Division Dr. Esmael Satol and MAFAR-Maguindanao Chief Agriculturist Dr. Saudi Manguindra led the activity to showcase the result of the established demonstration farm for the Rice Crop Manager Advisory Service (RCMAS).
RCMAS is an optimized digital agriculture app that provides farmers with nutrient management recommendations and advisories to improve their farm productivity and profitability and an upgraded version of the Nutrient Manager for Rice.
During the festival, farmers harvested 5.02 metric tons of rice per hectare, a big improvement from their previous yield of 2.7 metric tons using traditional farming methods.
Dr. Satol stressed the importance of research in farming activities. “Research and technology are keys to helping our farmers achieve better harvests. By adopting new methods, we can improve the quality and quantity of our rice crops,” said Dr. Satol.
The Rice Harvest Festival not only celebrated the success of the new method but also inspired farmers to adopt innovative farming solutions for a brighter future.
