Philippine E-Journals

The Needs of Corn Farmers in the Province of Maguindanao, Philippines

Samsia I Tilendo

 

Abstract:

Corn farmers have challenges and opportunities that need to be responded by change agents. The study aimed to determine the training needs in seed technology and seed production of corn farmers which includes maintenance of cultivar purity, viability test, seed selection, seed production and postharvest handling; to conduct a training workshop on seed technology and corn production practices among the respondents in terms of perceive relevance of the training course, perceived usefulness and perceived necessity of the training course. The corn farmer respondents need post-harvest handling on seed drying. Preferred seminal as a training need. The perceived relevance of the training course was rated “very relevant,” and the training was “very useful” and very much needed. The socio-economic profile of the respondents such as age, with smaller farm size, low education, and annual income affects their farm activities and production practices. Post-harvest handling was not property given due attention, trainings, and seminar workshops on seed technology and corn production were never extended to the corn farmer respondents. A one day seminar-workshop was conducted at ARMMIARC Session hall on seed technology and corn seed production technology. There were one hundred fifty (150) corn farmer respondents coming from the identified municipalities and the data were gathered a through questionnaire and the training workshop was conducted at Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Integrated Agriculture Research Center, Nuling, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.