Laoag City—Ilocos Norte
is now officially one of five tactical pilot provinces in the country to lead
collaborative extension services in agriculture and fisheries after component
institutions signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) at the Ilocos Norte
Centennial Arena, Laoag City on February 28, 2020.
Officially known as the Ilocos Norte Agriculture and Fisheries
Extension System (INAFES), it will strengthen and synergize the provincial and
municipal extension systems of the province by engaging a pool of professionals
who will provide technical and business advisory services to farming and
fishing communities and related sectors.
Department of Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar and Ilocos
Norte Governor Matthew J. Marcos-Manotoc led the MOA signing. Other signatories
include Mariano Marcos State University President Shirley C. Agrupis,
DA-Regional Field Unit I Regional Director Lucrecio R. Alviar, Bureau of
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources- Regional Field Office I Regional Director
Nestor D. Domenden, DA undersecretaries and assistant secretaries and members
of agricultural credit council, among others.
INAFES is an innovative model in strengthening research extension
farmer-fisher folk linkages by sharing science-based knowledge and technologies
from various institutions with farming and fishing families, rural communities,
and agriculture-based enterprises.
It will also help the provincial government in coordinating
municipal extension units and strengthen their linkages in research and
development and extensions institutions and think tanks.
Major programs of the extension system include agro-enterprise
development, location-specific technology development, capacity building,
information and knowledge sharing, social mobilization, institutional strengthening.
“Gusto kong magpasalamat sa Department of Agriculture dahil
palagi ninyong tinutulungan ang Ilocos Norte. Mula sa pagbibigay ng mga
seed at livestock replacement sa ating mga magsasaka na nasalanta ng
bagyo, interest-free loan upang makapagsimula ulit sila, at hanggang sa
financial assistance na ibinibigay niyo sa mga naapektuhan ng rice
tariffication. Ngayon, itong INAFES,” Mr. Marcos-Manotoc remarked.
The challenges in our agriculture sector remind us that through
difficult and brutal times, the will of our Ilokano farmers prevails. We are a
proud province of farmers and we will always be,” he ended. (Edison
Justin B. Deus)
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