Groups of farmer trainers who were selected for the agricultural sector Community Development in Conflict Affected Areas in Mindanao (CD-CAAM) project implemented by the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) underwent training of trainers on August of this year.

Training for farmer trainers in Matungao, Lanao del Norte was conducted on Aug. 20-22 while training for the group in Sultan Mastura, Maguindanao was on Aug. 25-27.

TOT aims to train the 1^st beneficiaries to be farmer trainers and teach vegetable production technologies to 2nd beneficiaries in Barangay Boliok, Sultan Mastura and in Barangay Matampay, Matungao as technology dissemination activity of extension phase of CD-CAAM.

“The farmer trainers will be chosen among the first beneficiaries who are capable and potential in imparting knowledge. The farmer trainers shall form teams by grouping them wherein it will be composed of 2-3 members wherein one of them will be lecturer and the other two will teach the hands on application of the technology,” explained Mr. Shingo Furuichi, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) expert on agriculture.

Using the manual for Basic Vegetable Production and Marketing, the participants are expected to transfer technology to the new group of beneficiaries.

Technologies to be transferred are; a) soil sampling and neutralization, b) land preparation, c) fertilizer application, d)nursery establishment, e) compost making, f)sowing/planting/transplanting/direct seeding, g) companion plants planting, h) trellising, i)irrigation and drainage, j) pests and disease control, k)harvesting and post-harvesting, l)marketing, m) match-making and n) selling and record keeping.

Part of the evaluation after the training is a presentation of the beneficiaries through micro teaching and moving exam in the demo farm through a ballot box form in answering questions.

Participants were also taught of facilitation and presentation skills and preparation of visual aids.

Said training was facilitated by the respective regions of said sites.

BDA Central Mindanao for Maguindanao and BDA Ranaw for Lanao del Norte.

Resource organizations were UPI Agricultural School (UAS) and Agriculture Technical Institute (ATI).

CD-CAAM is implemented with support from JICA and in partnership with ICNet as service provider.