The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) asked the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization (COCAFM) to conduct a comprehensive performance review of the rice farmers’ training programs funded by the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).
“The funds should be used to upgrade the training and extension programs of these DA agencies, in line with the DA’s overall strategy and thrusts to improve farmers’ productivity and competitiveness. While TESDA can help, it has neither the capability nor the mandate to provide this service”, said FFF national manager Raul Montemayor.
The group also recommended a reassessment of the allocation of the P1 billion annual training budget among the implementing agencies.
FFF stressed the need to realign the funds to bolster the training and extension programs of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) agencies, aligning with the DA’s overall strategy to enhance farmers’ productivity and competitiveness.
Around P1 billion has been allocated annually for rice farmers’ training programs since 2019 from the P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) allocated under the RTL.
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) received 70 percent of the funds, with the remaining 30 percent being split equally among the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), the Philippine Rice Research Institute (Philrice) and the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (Philmech).
