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150 farmers join cross-farm visit in MMSU

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Visitors take a photo at the rice paddy art in front of the administration building of the Mariano Marcos State University in Batac Campus. It features an image of former first lady Imelda Marcos.  (Contributed photo)

   
By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff Reporter

Batac CITY—Around 150 local farmers, students, researchers, and extension workers among others joined a cross-farm visit the state-run Mariano Marcos State University-Batac Campus hosted on November 12, 2019.

Showcasing the best agricultural practices being advocated by research experts of the university, the cross-farm visit features the MMSU-CARES farm at Brgy. Quiling Sur in this city, the President’s Farm and Seed Production Project in front of the College of Agriculture, Food and Sustainable Development (CAFSD), and the rice paddy art at the university’s administration building.

Every year, MMSU is conducting this activity to inspire more farmers to plant high yielding and resilient varieties of rice and the application of appropriate technologies to boost productivity.

“No awan iti imula, awan met ti maapit. Itultuloytayo ngarud a tagibenen dagiti imulatayo a pagay tapno nalabonto met ti maapittayo [If we don’t plant, we have no harvest. Let us take good care of our rice plants to ensure good harvest],” said MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis during the ceremonial planting at the rice paddy art of MMSU.

The rice paddy art showing the face of former first lady Imelda Marcos is among the instant attractions of the activity.

It was learned the MMSU and PhilRice created the rice paddy art using IR 1552, a traditional Korean purple rice variety and a high-yielding PSB Rc 82, where planters used the anamorphosis principle. This technique is being used in 3D art where a picture looks distorted but appears normal when viewed from a certain angle.

Like in previous year, the rice paddy art aims to promote the importance of rice farming and the unique art of doing so. Mrs. Agrupis reiterated to the student-participants the exciting business of modern agriculture which also includes art and science.

“For students who are taking up agriculture, may you continue your passion to become the next agricultural researchers who will feed and strengthen the agriculture industry in the future,” she said.

Other participants in the cross-farm visit include PhilRice-Batac Director Reynaldo C. Castro, Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Cecile Araneta-Marcos, Ilocos Norte Sangguniang Kabataan Federated Chairman Rafael Medina, Sangguniang Panlalawigan members Medeldorf Gaoat and Aladine Santos. There were also representatives from the Department of Agriculture (DA) and MMSU personnel.

Meanwhile, the President’s Farm and Seed Production Project of MMSU serve as a model for farmers in using high quality rice seeds to increase farmers productivity.

Under Rice Seedstock Dispersal Project of MMSU established in 2000, farmer-beneficiaries can avail of high-yielding varieties of rice and organic fertilizer but they have to pay it back to the university after harvest. To date, there are 81 farmer-beneficiaries under this program.

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