Nelson Morales

Agri dept eyes stronger province-led farm extension system amid manpower, budget gaps

A farmer uses a mechanized plow to prepare a rice field in Baras, Rizal on August 6, 2024, Farmworkers Appreciation Day. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Francis Orcio

ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- The Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) has unveiled a comprehensive overview of the country’s agricultural extension system, highlighting decades of structural shifts, persistent manpower shortages, and uneven local implementation that continue to hinder farm productivity.Appearing before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, ATI Director Remelyn Recoter traced the evolution of agricultural extension from the former Bureau of Agricultural Extension to today’s province-led approach under the Province-led Agriculture and Fisheries Extension System (PAFES). Created under Executive Order 116 in 1987, ATI consolidated several training bodies into one institution tasked with developing extension workers and transferring agricultural technologies. However, the 1991 Local Government Code devolved many of its functions to local government units (LGUs), a move that, Recoter said, led to “fragmented delivery of extension services” and a lack of coordination mechanisms among national agencies, state universities, and LGUs.“There are still LGUs which has particularly the 4th, 5th, and 6th class municipalities with five or less technicians to include the municipal agriculturists. So if they have 5,000 registered farmers, that&#x27;s 1 is to 1,000 ratio,” Recoter said.Senator Francis Pangilinan, who chaired the hearing, pointed out how this imbalance has affected agricultural productivity.“Obviously, our population of farmers is about what? 11 million? Kaya nga, which is really not enough. And that pretty much explains to a large extent why our agri output and productivity is kulelat compared to Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia,” he said.Recoter confirmed that the current number of profiled agricultural extension workers nationwide stands at 11,149, down from 13,000 in 2021, with 81 percent holding permanent appointments.“There are LGUs which doesn’t provide TEV when they travel from within the municipality. They also have threshold like P400 a month. But if your assignment is in the far-flung areas, you hire a habal-habal that&#x27;s P400. The most that they can do is maybe once a month, they can visit their area,” Recoter said.Recoter also underscored the demotivation among local agricultural staff, particularly in low-income municipalities.“They are demotivated, some of them, of course, especially from the lower-income municipalities because of lack of rewards, incentives, and even security of tenure,” she said.To address fragmentation, Recoter highlighted the rollout of PAFES, which consolidates agricultural programs at the provincial level through shared planning and co-investment between the DA and LGUs.Senator Pangilinan proposed institutional incentives for LGUs with exemplary agricultural programs.“Kasi may mga MOA na kayo e’. So, at least sa provincial level, pwede niyo nang gawin. Tapos bigyan niyo ng reward. Kasi meron kayong co-investment agreement, ‘di ba? So bigyan niyo nang cash prize. Para pag binigyan mo ng cash, it&#x27;s not personal to the individuals, but it is for the needs and the requirements of the project.”The ATI said they had already begun implementing such initiatives.Despite these gains, Recoter acknowledged that many LGUs still lack monitoring and evaluation systems to measure the effectiveness of agricultural programs.She further noted that the Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Strategic Framework 2023–2028 aims to strengthen the resilience of farmers and extension workers, promote agripreneurship, and build stronger digital and coordination systems.However, both Recoter and Pangilinan agreed that specialization remains a missing link in the system.The ATI’s presentation concluded with a call for sustained coordination, fair incentives, and digital transformation to ensure that agricultural extension efforts reach farmers and fishers on the ground.

The Department of Agriculture has unveiled a comprehensive overview of the country’s agricultural extension system, highlighting decades of structural shifts, persistent manpower shortages, and uneven local implementation that continue to hinder farm productivity.

The Department of Agriculture has unveiled a comprehensive overview of the country’s agricultural extension system, highlighting decades of structural shifts, persistent manpower shortages, and uneven local implementation that continue to hinder farm productivity.