Iloilo slates farmers' field school on climate forecasting
The Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) is conducting a Farmers' Field School on Climate Forecasting this May 21-25, in Dumangas, Iloilo.
PAO Officer-in-charge Dr. Ildefonso Toledo said the municipality of Dumangas was chosen to pilot the activity because it has the required equipment which can record weather elements, like rainfall, humidity, and others.
The participants will devote full five days in a chosen farm where they will be taught how to read climate forecast, side by side with their indigenous knowledge on climatic phenomenon, in relation to agriculture.
Dr. Toledo said the training on climate forecasting seeks to motivate the farmers to become "scientific" farmers and weathermen in their communities. So that on their own they do some record keeping of rainfall and other weather changes that can help them in their day-to-day farming activities.
Further, Toledo said, with the farmers' knowledge on the climate changes, they can better plan their agricultural activities, especially on what crops to plant given a possible climate scenario and what mitigation measures they can undertake as a community should there be adverse effects.
On the other hand, the PAO's office had facilitated a Climate Forum in which the PAGASA gave an analysis of previous climate situation and the projection for the coming wet season which starts this May until September.
The forum was attended by members of the Technical Working Group (TWG) on Climate Information, created by the Provincial Government.
(PIA 6)