Extension agronomists charged up for a rice-sufficient Africa

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI; http://irri.org)-Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA; http://www.jica.go.jp/english) project for extension agronomists brought 25 participants from five African countries (Mozambique, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania) to the Philippines for a 17-week rice knowledge, production, and extension training. Watch as the following five participants talk about their experiences and plans when they go back to their respective countries. 1. Kenya: Mr. Bernard Okumu Okongo, Agricultural Officer, Muhoroni District Agriculture Office 2. Mozambique: Mr. Eugenio Come, Extension Officer, National Directorate of Agrarian Extension, Min. of Agriculture 3. Uganda: Ms. Aloo Eunice, Agricultural Officer, Agricultural Office 4. Rwanda: Mr. Uyambaje Jean Baptiste, Agronomist, Rwanda Agricultural Development Authority (RADA; http://www.rada.gov.rw ) 5. Tanzania: Ms. Suzana Gasper Mbwambo, Agricultural Tutor, Ministry of Agriculture, Training Institute The participants spent most of their time at the headquarters of the Philippine Rice Institute (PhilRice; http://www.philrice.gov.ph ) in the major rice-growing region around Nueva Ecija for a full rice-growing season to learn the theory and get extensive practical training in all aspects of rice production. The learning then was put into practice in farmer field schools that were led by the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines, the Local Government Unit, and PhilRice in which the participants had to pass on their knowledge to farmers. "The season-long rice production and extension training is designed to effectively use the knowledge and skills of extension agronomists so that they can more effectively localize key rice production practices within their respective countries' rice farming systems," said Dr. Noel Magor, IRRI's head of training and theme leader for Supporting the Growth of the Global Rice Sector in the Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP; http://www.grisp.net ). The project is envisioned to contribute to greater harvests of quality rice through the application of up-to-date rice farming practices. Participants are expected to assist their respective countries through an effective extension effort that will result in increased food security and better livelihoods for rice farmers, their families, and their communities as a whole. "The training course at PhilRice was intended to equip the trainees in all aspects of rice farming from seed selection to marketing using the PalayCheck platform," shared Ms. Lea del Rosario-Abaoag, PhilRice program leader of the Location-Specific Technology Development Program and project coordinator of the Season-Long Rice Farming Program for Extension Agronomists. "It was activity-based where the skills learned are applied in actual field conditions on the training farm and in farmers' fields. It was fascinating to see the African extension workers and the Filipino farmers exchanging information and experiences beneficial to both."