Department of Agriculture Training Institute Visits Our Prison Campus

The Department of Agriculture visited SETBI's DAPECOL campus to train our students how to grow mushrooms. The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), an agency under the Department of Agriculture (DA), is the training and extension arm of the DA, focusing on training agricultural extension workers and their clientele, promoting rural development, and ensuring research results are communicated to farmers. They trained some of our students in successful mushroom framing technologies and gave a seminar showcasing cultivation practices and processing of various species of mushrooms. Among the species commonly cultivated are straw and oyster mushrooms. ATI's work is

• Training: it conducts multi-level training programs for agricultural extension workers and their clients, which are primarily farmers and other agricultural workers, to enhance their skills and knowledge in various agricultural practices.

• Promoting Rural Development: it aims to promote and accelerate rural development by providing training and extension services that empower agricultural stakeholders and improve their livelihoods.

• Research Dissemination: it ensures that research findings and new technologies are communicated to farmers through appropriate training and extension activities, bridging the gap between research and practice.

• Focus Areas: it focuses on commodity-based technologies, social technologies (leadership, management, soft skills, project management, digital tools for agriculture, and agri-entrepreneurship), and the food value chain.

• Extension Services: it develops, implements, and monitors training, education, and advisory services for stakeholders involved in different commodities and industries to strengthen the competitiveness of the agriculture and fisheries sector.

• Empowerment: it aims to empower agriculture and fisheries stakeholders, contributing to the growth of the agricultural industry and increasing food availability and affordability.

• Geographic Reach: it has 16 regional training centers and one international training center, ensuring that it can reach its target clientele across the Philippines.

• E-learning: it offers free nationwide workshops and e-learning courses on agriculture and fisheries through its e-learning platform.