The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) recently launched the first ever mobile phone service designed to be of public service to Filipino rice farmers.

The new service is called the Nutrient Manager for Rice Mobile or the NMRiceMobile which has been patterned after the Site-Specific Nutrient Management (SSNM) technology developed by IRRI together with the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).

Using the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology, the rice farmers can get fertilizer recommendation for their specific rice field through the NMRiceMobile. This will likewise be one of the featured services of the DA's Farmers' Contact Center.

As the DA's extension and training arm, the Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) will lead in the promotion of the new service among the Filipino farmers.

Photo shows the team who unveiled the toll-free numbers for the NMRiceMobile. From left, Mr. Ramon Isberto, Public Affairs Head of Smart Communications Inc., Dr. Karen Eloisa Barroga of PhilRice, Dr. Achim Dobermann, IRRI's Deputy Director General for Research, Undersecretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat of the Department of Agriculture, Director Asterio P. Saliot of DA-ATI and Mr. Jose Luis Reyes, Public Sector Industry Head of Globe Telecommunications, Inc.

For more information, see related news:

DA, IRRI Launch NMRiceMobile, Make its Global Debut

(Edited by Jose Rey Alo - original submission Thursday, 25 January 2011, 06:04 PM)