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 mgaseed at livestock replacement sa ating mga magsasaka na nasalanta ng bagyo, interest-free loan upang makapagsimula ulit sila, at hanggang safinancial 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)