The Agri Aral Tekno Mobil program continued its “Lakbay AgriATM: Agri, Set, Go! - Roadshow” extension series in Tarlac and capacitated farmers, fishers, women, youth, and local extension workers first in Barangay Bantog, Victoria last June 14, 2022.

Aboard the AgriATM Van, the program reached out by giving target participants timely quality education on agri-fisheries technologies and their entrepreneurial prospects specifically in goat raising and organic farming.

Despite their busy schedule in the farm and at home, and the scorching heat of the sun, participants from Brgy. Bantog were very eager to learn new techniques and knowledge brought by AgriATM.

“Nadagdagan pa po ang aking kaalaman [at] para sa akin, kahit mainit, basta nakikinig lang po [ako], may nakukuha po kami. Tulad ng sili, ginagamit pala ‘yon pantaboy sa peste,” says Rhea Valdez, one of the women participants.

One of the goals of the roadshow is to teach the attendees to access the Learning Management System or the LMS, and for them to confidently use electronic media as a tool in acquiring information in agriculture and related topics.

With the help of the CLSU Information Technology Department, the AgriATM team taught them to interact with the LMS (www.agriatm.com), so that they can get access to the electronic modules and other educational materials uploaded there.

“Ang maka-access lamang po kayo sa aming LMS ay malaking tulong na upang madagdagan ang inyong kaalaman sa agrikultura at [para] makasabay rin sa mabilis na pag-usad ng teknolohiya,” says Dr. Cynthia C. Divina, AgriATM Program Leader.

The participants listened to the topics on organic farming production with Johnah Jefferson Mercado, Extension Expert from the University Extension Center (UEC), and on goat production with Neal Del Rosario, Goat Raising Expert from CLSU Small Ruminant Center (SRC).

They used the printed and e-modules developed by AgriATM as the main resource materials in the discussion.

Mercado emphasized the importance of organic farming in relation to the issue of global warming in the Philippine setting, from among the other lessons presented in the organic farming module.

Meanwhile, Del Rosario discussed the basics in goat raising such as its management systems, forage production, processed feeds for small ruminants like the Urea Molasses Mineral Block (UMMB), among others.

The Lakbay AgriATM Tarlac was conducted in collaboration with Tarlac Agricultural University led by Dr. Yolanda S. Guillermo, TAU Director for Extension.

Together with the program team are colleagues Ma Bernadette M. Paguio from CLSU Department of Communication and Development Studies, and Daryl F. Espino and Cenon Conrado C. Divina from the CLSU IT Department.

AgriATM is a Commission on Higher Education (CHED) funded program being implemented by Central Luzon State University.