Monsanto Philippines launches SMART Farm program
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Farmers gather at one of the SMART demo farms of Monsanto Philippines. The company’s SMART Farm program offers a 2-3 day training in a demo farm, providing farmer participants both lectures and hands-on workshops on how to sustainably plant corn.
Monsanto Philippines launched this month a nationwide farmer training program, dubbed SMART Farm, meant to teach smallholder corn growers across the countrybest farm management practices and the latest corn planting technologies.In its first year, the program targets to reach out to over 20,000 farmers in different corn regions in the Philippines.
SMART Farm’s Center Of Excellence Lead John Fajardo said that smallholder farmers, who make up around 80 per cent of all farmers in the country, are often challenged with rural isolation and limited agronomic know-how, which limit their potential for increased productivity and profitability.
Monsanto Philippines established 16 SMART Farms across the country where 2-3 days ofboth lectures and hands-on workshops will be conducted each planting season. These demo farms also serve as a shop where farmers can buyhigh-yielding and disease-resistant corn seed products at competitive prices.
The training will be first conducted in Bugallon, Pangasinan. It will be followed by a series of trainings in other corn growing regions such asTarlac, Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Occidental Mindoro, Camarines Sur, Capiz and Iloilo.
Monsanto’s Corporate Engagement Lead Charina Garrido-Ocampo believes that supporting farmers also translates to the growth of the local agriculture sector. “For almost 50 years, Monsanto has been supporting local agriculture by bringing a broad range of solutions to our farmers. Through this program, we aim to further sustain the productivity of the sector and improve the profitability of the livelihoods of our smallholder farmers,” said Ocampo.
About Monsanto Philippines
Monsanto Philippines is a local unit of Monsanto, a Fortune 500 global power company with a diverse portfolio of advanced biotechnology products produced in 404 facilities in 66 countries. To date, Monsanto Philippines has four facilities spread out across the country, which includes its head office in Alabang, a Refuge-in-a-Bag (RIB) Plant and cold warehouse located in Bulacan, and an R&D station in Mindanao. The company also has partnerships with the Philippine government through the Department of Agriculture as well as the local scientific and academic communities in the promotion of modern agricultural biotechnology. To learn more, please visit www.monsanto.ph.
About Monsanto
Monsanto is committed to bringing a broad range of solutions to help nourish our growing world. We produce seeds for fruits, vegetables and key crops – such as corn, soybeans, sorghum, canola, and cotton – that help farmers have better harvests while using water and other important resources more efficiently. We work to find sustainable solutions for soil health, help farmers use data to improve farming practices and conserve natural resources, and provide crop protection products to minimize damage from pests and disease. Through programs and partnerships, we collaborate with farmers, researchers, nonprofit organizations, universities and others to help tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges.
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